Low Lights
by Kyeian
Summary: A dragon, some vampires, some wizards, and a couple of lost apprentices...in Las Vegas...in Summer. This plan is flawless. Ryan and his team had no idea what to expect when the apprentices disappeared in Vegas. Josh and his friend L were not expecting wizards, and who knows what the dragon thinks at all. Non-Canon (OCs). Flawless book 1
1. Chapter 1

***Josh**

I sighed as I watched the gap between buildings that L had said she'd come out of. The sheer number of women who walked by my car admiringly was distracting, and I was a little Hungry. That thought led me to thinking of L herself even more. I cared for her, and had since before I'd fed my first time. I'd heard that my uncle Thomas had worked out how to keep a doe without killing her, but aside from barely seeing her, I wasn't sure what else to do. The idea, alone, of feeding on her, caused me the sort of physical reaction that had gotten me in trouble the year I'd gone through kine public school, but that was far from new.

It was time for her to come out now, at least, meaning I could stop working myself up about seeing her. Thrilling.

L, Ella Simone, was a twenty-two year old college student who was talking about some sort of graduation and degree. She was more than five and a half feet tall with shoulder length brown hair. Her eyes were brown, and she had the kind of girl-next-door good looks that had made it natural for me to spend time with her. The, uh, size D bulges on her chest didn't detract from that.

And she liked to flaunt.

I smiled as I saw my friend move from the path, shading her sunglass-covered eyes from the bright summer sun. She was wearing a pale green camisole that exposed an interesting amount of cleavage, and hip hugging jeans.

I hopped from the car to wave, even as her scan of the lot stopped on my Ferrari. She considered it as she moved closer with a hand on her hip.

"Shut up," I ordered her happily. "Not a word."

"But, Josh," she protested, her eyes dancing, "I think you were driving this thing last time you picked me up. How tacky."

I had to smile at that. "Shit? Did I? Damn it, it's your fault for wanting to hang out on a Friday."

"You always drive this car on Friday?" she asked, sounding scandalized. "How could you drive it for more than a week?"

I laughed at that, watching as she pulled the door open, then gave me a flirting look and ducked into the machine.

"Mm," she noted, settling as I sat. "You're slippin' rich boy. Your pretty white car seems to be a pretty tan car...the dust around here isn't a great car color. At least your air works," she directed one of the vents toward her face. "I wouldn't want to be seen in this if the air didn't even work."

"Oh shut up," I retorted happily, buckling. "Are you hungry? Because I'm starving."

"Starving?" she asked, focusing on me.

I nodded, looking her over. "You're healthy, right? Wanna go back to my place?"

She guffawed at that.

I laughed wickedly, studying her face a moment.

"Let me see your eyes," she ordered.

"Huh?" I asked, blinking at her, then pulled the sunglasses down.

She considered me a moment, shifting how she sat.

"What?" I asked, focusing on the mirror...my eyes were normally gray. They looked a tad silver for that, though. Damn it! I focused, closing my eyes. It took me a moment to force the demonic nonsense back, then licked my lips and glanced at her.

"You hit on me within three minutes of seeing me after avoiding me for six months."

"I was not avoiding you," I protested at that, settling the sunglasses again as I started the engine. "And I was enjoying your cleavage all the way across the lot, so..."

She laughed wickedly at that, looking me over with interest. "You okay?"

"I'm sober, that counts, right?" I started the car down the drive.

"You're not even going to ask about me?" she demanded.

I blinked at that, pulling into traffic. "Sorry...I figured you'd ride me a few minutes first."

She rolled her eyes, then bit her lip as she shifted again.

"Stop that," I complained, pulling my eyes away from her chest again.

" _You're_ doing it," she retorted. "Let's just go back to your place."

Tempting...tempting as hell.

I bit my lip, considering the girl from the corner of my eye again, but I had a feeling... We hit a red light, and I flicked the sunglasses down to see the silver irises again.

Okay, so I was actually starving? I wanted to taste of the stupid doe, always had, but if I started that she'd be addicted to me like all the other pretty toys...and in the end?

I started cursing.

"Mm?" L muttered, running her hand along my thigh.

Oh if only!

I hit the button for the windows as her hand explored my thigh. It wasn't the first time she'd been hit by my Hunger, and she was usually immune to the lower levels of it—so was her immunity slipping since I'd avoided her the last six months? Or was I really _that_ Hungry?

Ooh, I was Hungry...

I caught her wrist, grinning wickedly at her as the light changed.

So...how best to deal with this? She'd agreed to go to my apartment...no. No. If I started feeding on her things would get complicated.

"Josh?" she asked, leaning closer to me.

I laughed wickedly, shoving her toward the passenger window. "Outside, huh?"

"We're going sixty miles an hour," she retorted, blinking a few times as she turned her head toward the window. "Oh."

"Oh," I agreed, wishing briefly that I'd picked an automatic. I didn't usually drive automatics, but sometimes...

"Um..." she muttered.

"You in control of yourself again?" I asked, glancing toward her briefly.

"For now, I think," she agreed dryly.

"So...we can get a hotel room."

She guffawed at that, punching me in the arm.

I snickered, relaxing again. When she was under my sway she'd always agreed with that one, when she wasn't, I got bruises. "I'm sorry."

"Why can't I live in the normal world?" she pouted at me, leaning her head against the back of her seat. "I want to close the window, but I'd end up all over you...and I figured this would happen at some point tonight, but already? How are you _that_ hungry?"

"Uh...I've been partying," I noted, glancing sidelong at her. "I'm not Hungry enough to pounce someone, but I will be if we hang out too long."

She snorted at me, turning to look at me. "How the hell are we friends?"

I flashed her a grin.

She chuckled a bit, thinking. "It's already seven...and only seven, I might add. You wanna go feed?"

"I told you," I grinned wickedly at her. "We can go back to the manor..."

"I said _you_ go feed," she retorted. "And not on me..." she thought about that a moment, then met his eyes. "Unless..."

Okay, this was ridiculous. She had to have lost her immunities.

"Let's...let's go to Secrets."

"What?" she demanded, focusing on me. "For one, I've never _seen_ that club. For two, I have no way to affording getting _in_ to that club. For three, what the hell would I wear if I could? Seriously, that's not the kind of place you can just get into on a whim."

"Mm, L?" I returned, glancing briefly down to my key ring. "What's my name?"

"Josh?" she asked dryly.

"No...my full name."

"Joshua Alexi Rossi?"

"The real one, not Rossi," I muttered dryly, turning my head to look at her.

She considered my face a moment, tilting her head. "Raith?"

I flashed her a grin that was more a flash of teeth.

"Are you talking about the rich thing?" she added. "Are you trying to say you can afford to get me in?"

"I'm saying that the bastard who tried to turn you away would die."

She blinked at me.

I shook my head slightly, looking her over. "You're right, though, that outfit won't do."

"We can hit my apartment," she noted. "I need to do something with my hair anyway."

"Maybe you missed it," I muttered, lowering the sunglasses so she could see my eyes. "I don't have time for you to do your hair and make-up. We stay alone in a room that long and we'll have a _damn_ good time without _needing_ to hit the club."

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly. "You're..."

That was the question of the hour, wasn't it? I wouldn't have admitted it to anyone else, but this was L, and she understood enough about the situation to...understand. "My grandfather might show up," I explained quietly. "Both of my moms told me to pack a bag and gave me a ton of cash. If he comes," I shrugged, "I get to find a hotel room."

She lowered her head, and I saw her sad expression again. She'd cried when I'd first told her about my family; how my birth mother couldn't claim me as her own without putting me on my grandfather's radar. My grandfather would kill me or somehow cause my death. My second mom, she was my mom's cousin, she'd claimed me. They'd both raised me, but I hadn't known about the bullshit of my birth until I was in high school.

I shook my head, turning into the department store's drive.

"Hey..." L muttered, sitting up.

"Hush," I retorted. "I want to go to the club, then party tonight. I want you to be safe with me, huh? This...I can't tell you no tonight," I met her eyes briefly as I pulled into the valet loop. "And if it comes to it, I won't. I need to go feed."

She looked down, nodding slightly.

"Chin up, we'll have fun," I muttered, touching her chin briefly.

L shivered slightly, blinking as she met my eyes.

The stuff of her fantasies was sweetness and passion, a comfortable bed with someone that made her happy—it always had been. Now, though, there was a slow torture involved...she'd found herself another lover, then.

The valet opened her door, smiling as he offered her his hand, and I nodded at the second man, who'd opened my door. There was something bitter about my darker nature touching L, something unclean and impure about it...and knowing those little changes in her fantasies always left a sour taste in my mouth. I needed to stop touching her.

"Good evening, sir," he muttered, blinking at me a few times.

"Be a good man and keep her near the door," I muttered, pulling his hand briefly up to my lips as he reached for the keys.

The poor man tensed very slightly, but his eyes were glued to mine. I nodded my head briefly as I let him take the key and the bills, grinning as I moved quickly around the car to Ella's side.

"I'll...keep it...waiting," the guy muttered, looking slightly uncomfortable as he looked the lot over.

"What did you do?" L hissed at me as the second man pulled the store's door open for us.

"I didn't do anything," I retorted, sliding my glasses to the top of my head. "I don't want to be in here long."

"You want me to pick an outfit from here and go?" she demanded dryly.

"No, I'm picking the outfit from here," I retorted, looking around and spotting the women's clothing. "You're trying it on to make sure it fits, and then we're going to Secrets. We'll stay there until I've fed and you've gotten bored, then go find another party...and another party...and then it will be dawn and we can go watch sunrise before going back to my place for wild and wholly fulfilling sex...before you tell me you have to go, the butler orders you a cab, and I sleep until seven tomorrow...wanna do it again?"

She guffawed at that, smacking at me.

I flashed a wicked grin at her, looking around briefly. Her hand on my arm provided me with another opportunity to win her, but I fought the instinct as I pulled away from her touch. I _wanted_ her, that was not a question, but I wanted her to be _her_ , not my pet.

I shook my head, pushing the thoughts down hard. The other aspect of not loving L was the fact that if I did, and we were intimate, I'd never be able to touch her again.

Maybe I should do it, she'd be safe from me then.

"Here," I muttered, stopping in front of the rack of white dresses that had caught my attention. It was a slinky sort of material with a slinky sort of cut, the sort of thing that would wow any man who looked at her. "What size?"

"What?" she demanded in disbelief.

"Just tell me your size," I retorted, giving her a dark look.

She gave me a slightly sour look, then leaned forward and grabbed a dress herself. "I'll try it on," she informed me. "But no promises."

I flashed my teeth at her again, looking around until I spotted the shoes. "What size feet?"

"You don't ask a woman her sizes," she protested at me, her expression miffed. "Nines, but..."

I winked at her, indicating the changing rooms as I went.

She sighed, heading that way as I turned to the shoe area. It took me all of three minutes to find a suitable pair, flats that would be latched around her feet so she could run, then turned and headed for the changing section.

"L?" I muttered as I entered the back area. The assistant smiling her most charming smile as she moved up to me curiously.

"Hold on," my friend returned, and I listened as she shifted and the material moved. Her heartbeat changed very slightly, and I grinned as I waited. That either meant it looked good or it looked horrible.

The door to the changing room opened, and she stepped out with her lower lip between her teeth.

The dress hugged her curves, and she blinked at me a few times before smiling a little bit.

"Mm, you make me starving," I muttered, leaning forward to kiss her...and stopping myself forcefully as I shoved the shoes into her hands.

"These are cute," she noted, "but I can't afford..."

"Shut up," I retorted, yanking the tag off the dress.

She _stared_ at me.

"Sir..." the assistant started to protest.

I waved her off, considering my friend as she slid into the shoes and considered them.

"So, this is a home run," I informed her, leaning over and grabbing the box. "Get your stuff and I'll pay."

" _What?_ " she demanded, focusing on me intently.

I smiled at her, then turned with the assistant to head for the register.

"That was an...interesting purchase," the woman noted quietly.

"I decided I wanted to hit a club," I explained, passing her the tag and the box. "She would have taken all night to get ready and I'm not interested in that...so here we are."

She laughed a flirty laugh at that, scanning the items.

While I put the code in for my card, L moved almost nervously from the back area with her clothing in hand. She didn't look fully comfortable, and the uncertainty made my Hunger almost roar through me.

...steady. I had to be _steady_.

The woman passed me a bag with the empty shoe box in it, and I held that open to my friend.

"Okay, let me get the security tag," the assistant muttered, taking the little implement from by the register and turning to mess with the back of the dress.

"I don't know," L said quietly, setting her stuff inside the bag. She was studying my eyes uncertainly.

"I took the tag off, there's no returning it now," I muttered happily. "You look wonderful," I reassured her as we started for the exit, waving thanks to the cashier. I glanced to L's breasts again.

"I swear you're worse than any other man I deal with," she informed me, meeting my eyes pointedly.

I grinned at her again, then looked around. "I need to stop once more, for ribbon, and you need a clutch."

"If it's white," she said happily, "I'll disown you."

I had to laugh at that, meeting her eyes again.

"Um..." the valet who'd handled my car stopped on his way to the front. "That was fast," he looked L over appreciatively, then met my eyes again.

I smiled my charming smile at him, amused at watching him become uncomfortable. I had no taste for males, but my power was just as happy to consider any kine food.

"Your car is..." he turned without taking my ticket, moving...to my car. It was parked just up the drive.

I winked at the second valet who was giving me a skeptical look...until L moved into his line of sight. His focus moved to her more enjoyable features, and I ran my hand down her back and onto her rear. She tensed slightly at the touch, and I was glad the dress didn't allow for that to be skin-on-skin contact. How in the world I would get through the night without taking her if I couldn't go five minutes without touching her?

The valet I'd influenced moved to hold the door open for my friend, then moved around to hold my door open as well. He was mostly avoiding my eyes, considering my body. I hesitated long enough that he looked at me again, grinning wickedly as I offered him his tip. I had given him one before and that wasn't necessary, but not tipping them on pick-up was rude. I licked my lips slightly as I pulled his hand up and pressed the side of his finger to my mouth briefly, and slid into the car as a long shiver ran through him.

"You're an ass," L whispered happily to me as I started moving. The valet was standing where I left him as I navigated through the lot, and I didn't look back as I pulled into traffic.

"I'm not so sure about this dress," she muttered, running her fingers along the hem.

"Ella?" I said seriously. "We're getting onto the belt and opening the windows would be horrible. Do me a super huge favor and just...stop...doing anything?"

She snorted at that.

"I haven't been controlling my hunger," I noted, glancing briefly to meet her eyes. "I've spent the last six months cavorting like a rich playboy, and my darker urges aren't understanding why I don't park and ravish you here and now. I didn't realize how hard it would be today, or I would have gorged myself last night, okay?"

She nodded slightly, looking down.

"What do you want to do? Once I've fed?"

"It's too hot to do much," she noted, folding her hands in her lap. "Maybe go to one of those patio restaurants? We could eat somewhere nice, and then decide what we're up for."

I nodded at that, liking the idea.

But first, a quick stop for a clutch and ribbon...I could fix her hair, drive myself nuts by her sheer presence, and feed.

I watched her hands trace the hem of the skirt again, wondering if she realized she was doing it, then forced myself to focus on the road. It wouldn't do to crash. 'No, Officer, I'm not drunk, I was just imagining what would happen if I seduced my friend.'

I forced the wicked smile from my face, changing gears.

* * *

 ***L**

Secrets was the sort of club that you saw in spy movies. It was the whispered background _thing_ that everyone knew about and no one thought it was real. It had come up in school at one point, and Josh had laughed delightedly before leaning over and whispering in my ear that he'd take me if I put on a school-girl uniform.

He'd told me about it when we'd hung out, too. After I'd turned eighteen he'd happily informed me that I could go with him whenever I said the words.

I watched the casinos as we drove on the far side of the strip, almost admiring the bright lights and wondering wryly if traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard was moving at all.

We pulled off the freeway, and I noted with vague amusement that Josh was ignoring me. I didn't mind, it meant he was controlling himself. It was just amusing to see his eyes stop and pan back the other direction as we waited for the light.

It didn't take us long after that to turn into a dark street. It looked deserted, the kind of street you don't walk alone at night—or at night at all, even with friends.

...but then again, I was with a vampire.

I grinned slightly at that idea as we pulled into a parking garage that was sparsely lit. It seemed incongruous to the surroundings that the bottom two floors were full.

After we'd parked, he looked to me again, then smiled slightly. It was the look he gave me when he knew I wasn't happy about something, and tended to mean he was going to make it right again.

"Is this safe?" I asked quietly, wrapping my arms around myself as I moved to his side.

"Of course it is; what would hurt you?" he protested, wrapping an arm around me. "You're with me, and we both know I'm Buffy on steroids."

I had to snicker at that, relaxing into him a bit. He'd told me before that Vegas was mostly for vampires, and specifically for the White Court. He hadn't told me what else there really _was_ , though. Something about idiot wizards and haphazard witches. He'd happily informed me that mythology was based in truth, and I had no idea beyond that.

White Court vampires were bad enough.

We moved through the darkened street as cars flowed by on the main road, and I looked back behind us to see if there was anyone.

He turned us before I could finish my scan, and I half tripped as he caught me and blinked at me. There were steps leading down, three of them, to a simple metal door. In the top left corner was an engraving, one word in fine calligraphy. _Secrets_.

I looked up to Josh.

"It's not nearly so intimidating as that," he reassured me quietly, pulling out a key ring. It only took him a second to unlock it, and I blinked at the curtain that was hanging just enough inside that a person could stand. He leaned to my ear. "Trust me," he whispered. "Don't say anything."

I nodded, allowing him to prod me forward. The passageway was short, just long enough for maybe three people to stand in front of a man in a suit. He was brawny, his hair cropped short...and _large_. He looked me over wordlessly, then nodded his head to Josh and stepped aside, pulling a second metal door aside with him.

I barely caught a second word engraved in that door, using the same calligraphy. _Shh_.

I allowed him to steer me through the door without bothering to speak...not that he'd have heard me through the sudden rush of deafening music.

A cry came up from the crowd as a low growl came from his throat, and I blinked around an empty entryway. It was maybe four feet wide and probably twelve across. There were benches set around the area, and water features on the ends. The walls were lined with white velveteen drapes, and the floor was patterned with white and deep blue tiles. On either end of the entryway, there were stairs up, and the drapes hung around the openings like they were windows.

I blinked as he led me toward the one on the right, smiling down at me.

The music was...industrial techno? It had some definite techno tones, but seemed somehow...darker.

"I'll put you on my tab," Josh muttered in my ear as we moved nearer the steps. I could see a railed-path from the entrance, and people were _packed_ around it. The crowd seemed to writhe to the beat, and there was something unwholesome about what little I could see.

Women started screaming as we stepped to the edge of the stairs, and Josh's second low growl made me shiver as the air went cold around us. It was a primal sound, implying need as stabs of pleasure shot toward my groin from his hand on my waist.

Even as we took our next step the music changed. A hard and demanding beat rocked the room and I saw women writhing with it, their backs arching as they closed their eyes, dropping their heads back.

"This is my song," Josh informed me with a wicked sort of pride.

I met his eyes, blinking as I saw how silver they were becoming.

We moved down the path as that music—his song? He had a song? Was it one he'd picked for them to play? I wasn't sure what to make of it, but the women...and a few men, seemed to be enjoying it far too much. He led me easily from the walk to a bar that seemed to flow along one wall. The shelving was white, and the bottles of alcohol kept on the shelves were lit with a white light—it seemed pristine, somehow, and a blue strip of light ran across the top of it. Fountains flowed down some of the shelves, carefully contained and beautiful. I could feel the dampness of the air after the hot desert dryness outside.

The bartenders, all shirtless young men, had bodies that had been sculpted for modeling. They were wearing flowing white pants with the same blue stripe down the hems, and were, to the man, hot.

"Mm, Joshy," one muttered, moving to lean across the bar as he considered me. "Please tell me you share."

Josh laughed his wicked laugh, more showing his teeth than smiling. He tossed a card on the counter and the guy looked him over thoughtfully as he took it.

His attention moved back to me as he turned toward the touch-screen that ran his register. "What do you want, beauty?" the guy asked me, meeting my eyes.

"A White Russian," I decided, sliding onto a stool.

"Keep my lady happy but don't poach," Josh ordered the man as he took his card back. The song flowed into something else.

"I can't poach, I'm kine," the guy retorted, grinning wickedly at him. "I'm not even addicted."

"Yet," Josh returned, his tone amused. "Want to change that?"

The guy's hands came up in surrender as he stepped back and looked away.

"L, this is Brian. He'll treat you right, huh?"

Brian nodded his consent.

"I'm going up," Josh added, turning to indicate a set of stairs that wound around three or four stories of balconies.

There was water _every_ where. Mostly, the building was dark. The lights were simply to decorate the strip of wall between floors. There was also lush vegetation growing in fake-rock settings along the walls. The back of the club was hidden from view by a slightly raised platform that was surrounded by more vegetation...and an imitation lake with a gazebo. The approaches to it were winding paths of stone set into the water—there was also a screen of water surrounding it. They were small strings of liquid spaced every six inches...or maybe every foot, it was hard to tell from this distance. The people inside the area seemed to be...

I felt my cheeks flush as I realized that the area was carpeted by pillows...and everyone in that area was writhing together in groups or pairs.

Brian laughed wickedly. "First time in Secrets?" he muttered.

I turned back to him, realizing he'd pushed a small glass to me. I stirred the brown liquid with the straw, nodding as I looked down.

"Shh," he whispered, pressing a finger to his lips as his eyes sparkled. He moved, though, heading toward another customer...who he also flirted with.

I took a few good swallows of my drink, appreciating the flavors, then turned to look again—avoiding looking at the sex pavilion.

Some of the dancers weren't dancing.

I blinked as I watched a few of them, jerking my attention away in embarrassment to look at the first layer of the balconies. The stairs wrapped around them double-helix style, and I clearly saw someone straightening with a straw to his nose, pulling it away and wiping at it as the woman with him bounced forward to lean down as well. I looked toward the next layer of stairs and realized that I couldn't make out much. All I really saw was handcuffs hanging from the ceiling.

What the _hell?_

Okay...Secrets really meant sex and drugs. Good to know.

I shook my head a bit as I took another drink, focusing on the top layer or two. I couldn't tell properly, because the angle...and the fact that there was another water-screen there.

I shook my head, turning back to the bar and noting that Brian was watching me with a decadent sort of smirk.

"Mm," an unfamiliar male voice purred from just behind me. A hand reached up to touch my hair, which Josh had wound white ribbon through. "Your colors catch my attention."

I turned, alarmed, blinking at a tall man with dark hair and gray eyes. He looked similar enough to be Josh's brother.

"My name," he added, moving to lean against the bar next to me, "is Andon Raith."

Oh _shit_.

I offered him a smile, trying to remain relaxed.

He looked me over, his tongue moving over his teeth. "You arrived with my cousin, yes?" he added easily. "Poor Joshua never did understand that real ladies should be attended." He slid onto the stool, tapping his card as Brian came over.

"Mm, give the lady anything she needs on me," he suggested, offering the card.

"No need, Mr. Raith," the bartender slid the card back with only his fingertips. "Mr. Rossi has already taken care of her."

Andon blinked languidly at him, then smiled back at me. "Quaint. What is your name, darling?"

"L," I supplied, feeling my pulse start to flutter.

"I'm delighted to meet you," he muttered, taking my hand. His touch was a thrill of pleasure through my body. He leaned forward as the throb settled to a warm beat between my thighs...and kissed my fingers.

Oh...don't!

I let out a soft moan as the pleasure shot through me, yanking my hand away and pressing it to my chest as I stared at the man. I'd had more than enough of that with Josh, who had never done it to subvert me—Josh had done it to prove a point and to tease me.

"Mm," he purred an amused sound at my reaction. "Joshua may know how to treat you right yet. Please, Miss L, it troubles me to see you sitting here alone. Dance with me?"

I was swept from the bar before I could respond, blinking as Brian took the remnants of my cup and set it down on the lower portion of the bar—and covered it with some sort of white thing.

I raised my eyes to Andon's, gauging his mood. His eyes hadn't changed color at all, at least.

He physically moved me with his body as we joined the crowd, closing his eyes as the music became louder. It didn't take as long as I expected to find an out, at least. Girls had joined us and started grinding against him. After only a few moments of that, his grip on me loosened and he leaned down to kiss the girl on his right. She started making noises and grinding more into him until he removed his hand entirely from my left to rest it on her hip.

I took advantage of the moment and slid away, heading back for the bar.

"You got away from him quick enough," Brian noted happily, lifting a glass from behind the bar. There was a white sleeve around it, made of the same material as the napkins. It was, however, somehow sealed to the wet edges around the bottom. "See this?" he said, tugging at it...which made it rip. "You saw me put this on, huh? No one's tampered with your drink."

I tore the sheet away...and downed the rest of the drink. I didn't like Andon for some reason, and didn't want him to know _anything_ about me.

Brian laughed, considering my face. "Andon's alright, huh? Might even be more fun than Joshy."

"I'm only here while Josh feeds," I retorted, sliding the empty glass at him. "Another, please."

"Sure. Joshy tips better than most...and is nicer to me," he studied my face as he mixed the alcohol. "You know him, huh? He's not serious, right? He tells me 'yet' and asks me if I want to change it all the time."

"He knows it bothers you," I noted with a smile. "He's messing with your head."

That made the guy look mildly relieved as he nodded and passed me the cup.

"Thanks," I tilted my head at him. "I suppose that's why you call him Joshy?"

He laughed at that, his teeth flashing white as his eyes sparkled. He pressed his finger to his lips in a gesture that seemed...he probably did it all the time. His eyes flicked past me briefly. "He's realizing that you're not with him. If you're serious about avoiding him, you should melt into the crowd. Joshy has never brought a woman in and left her before."

"We're friends," I admitted with a slight smile. "He doesn't want to hurt me."

"They all say that, honey," he advised as he looked to my cleavage again. "He'll be your friend until the moment your orgasm kills you."

I made a slight face at him, taking the drink and turning to walk away. I moved along the edge of the lake by the sex pavilion, trying not to watch and failing a bit. It was...sick and fascinating at the same time.

Behind the pavilion was a lounge area in the same whites and blues as the entryway. There were white drapes hanging around the area, sectioning off portions, and waiters running around between them with food.

My stomach rumbled.

Unfortunately, Josh had left me at the bar—he could have set me in one of those cubicles, but he'd left me at the bar.

I shook my head, mildly amused to note a group of men sitting along the edge of the restaurant and watching inside that sex pavilion avidly.

Well, no point in drooling on their food, they might misunderstand.

I sighed, turning back toward the club and wondering why I didn't smell smoke. That was uncommon in a place like this—a place for show. Ah well, I wasn't going to complain. It was a nice change.

I'd seen everything on the main floor, so I moved for the stairs. I was glad I did, too, because as I looked around the dance floor, I realized that Andon—at least I hoped it was Andon and not Josh—had moved up to the bar. Brian leaned forward, his happy smile flashing as he shook his head. He shrugged after a moment, indicating the dancers with a sweep of his arm, and Andon turned to look around as well.

I felt the urge to run, but he was a predator. Instead, I maintained my pace, blinking as I realized something. The shoes were both flats and strapped to my feet; I could run in them if I had to. Had he meant to do that? The dress wasn't something to run in, but the shoes...

I looked into the area of the first floor as I climbed by it. People were coming down around me, but other than occasionally brushing against me they weren't reacting to my presence—and there was more than cocaine in that dark area.

My stomach rolled with nervousness, and I jerked my eyes away from the syringe someone held. I hadn't realized it before, but there was a second floor over the dining area, and it seemed to mainly consist of couches. They were sectioned off much like the lower area, but there were no curtains. Ah, a smoking section. That must have some damn good vent fans around it.

I shook my head, focusing on moving past the drug-floor. The second balcony seemed to be mainly a bondage festival, and I didn't let my mind focus too much on the various writhing bodies inside it. I could see several dark heads, but none of them had the little curl of hair that Josh's did.

So...that meant above.

I looked up to the watered-in areas, realizing that the stairs were against the back wall. I could hear a woman moaning and laughter. The music was quieter, too.

I bit my lip as I moved to the entryway for the first of the floors—it was indeed two. All I could see, though, was women. They were moving around in lingerie or topless, and I had to avert my eyes from one who had on only a skirt.

So, Josh would be _up_.

I followed the curve around to the next level, realizing that there was a balcony through a glass door at the end of the stairs. As I moved to stop at the top, I heard a man's vocal enjoyment and blinked since it was all sectioned off.

I couldn't help but wonder why, with so much sex all over the building, they'd bother putting up the white curtains. A dazed and tottering looking woman wandered toward me, her eyes distant...with white streaks in her hair.

I blinked at her as she turned and disappeared through an opening. I could hear a door close from behind it, and shook my head as I turned and headed onto the balcony.

...to see the city.

I smiled slightly as the hot air surrounded me, covering me like a blanket after the cold air conditioning inside.

I moved across the patio to the railing, looking down to the less attractive area nearby, and realizing that further out, after dark, the view would be stunning.

"What are you doing up here?" Josh asked in confusion as the door made the whoomping noise of shutting again. "You shouldn't be up here."

"Your dear cousin Andon took me to dance," I retorted, meeting his eyes. "And for some reason, I was left at the bar and not in the restaurant."

"You said we'd go eat after," he muttered, moving closer to me. "I figured you'd, you know, wait."

"I'm hungry," I retorted, pouting at him as I considered his unbuttoned jeans. "Are you done yet?"

"No," he snapped back, gesturing. "It'll take me a half hour or so more."

I sighed, nodding as I looked down again to the ground.

"What did Andon say?" he muttered, leaning against the railing next to me and crossing his arms again.

"Nothing, really. Just making conversation. He didn't let me tell him 'no' about dancing, though, and then three other chicks joined us."

Josh snorted, rolling his eyes and turning toward the view, leaning against his arms. "I can't stay out here with you, you know."

"Go, feed," I flicked a wrist back at the building, realizing that the air around him seemed cold. "I'll stay out here a few more minutes, then head downstairs again." I shook my half-full glass at him. "I'll need more by then."

He smiled slightly, studying me with his silvery eyes, then shook his head and started for the building.

"How did you know I was up here?" I called.

"I saw you," he shrugged. "The girl I'd been with can't take much, so I sent her back to rest and saw you come out."

The tottering girl with white hair?

I shook my head and nodded at him, looking back to the smog-covered city.

It wouldn't do me to forget that he was a predator—and like Brian said, he'd tell me I was his friend until my last orgasm killed me.

We needed to get out of this place—it was touted as a hot spot for Sin City, and while it had that in spades...it was also sort of sad. I sighed, pushing away from the railing and noting that Josh was escorting the dark-haired girl in the skirt to that top-most level.

So...I had a half hour. It was time to wander back down those stairs and get another drink. At least Brian was happy to talk to me. That had to be something.

* * *

 **A/N** : Oh, I feel like I should mention that the first two chapters are a little...clunky. I had the idea for this story a few years ago, but couldn't manage to get past the start of chapter two. Eventually I realized the problem was that I was aiming to make it a full-length novel (90k words-style), and this was not that intense. I intend to eventually edit that beginning, but the story starts moving and grooving again after that-so give it a chance. 3


	2. Chapter 2

***Josh**

I stretched as I moved off the stairs, noting women watching me and smiling at them as I moved across the dance floor toward the bar. L was sitting at it again, looking small as Brian happily flirted with her. She seemed happy, at least...and I felt _good_.

"Cousin."

I blinked languidly at Andon, one of the two most prominent reasons I'd been avoiding L for the last six months.

"Your doe," he looked around to her. "You been hiding her from me?"

I laughed at him, wondering how he could ask me that. I'd die before being _that_ obvious.

"No," he grabbed my arm before I could pass, moving in front of me. "She's not addicted, she knows you, I haven't seen her around...and you left her at the bar to go feed."

I flashed my teeth at him, shoving around him.

As I closed the distance between myself and the female, my Hunger fluttered, but I'd fed plenty, and had taken more time than I'd told her—the problem was, when that time had been up, the idea of feeding on her had almost won out.

She smelled...like honey.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, tucking my nose into her hair as she stiffened slightly. I made a noise at her—I'd made it at her since I'd stopped going to the public school. It made her relax, her body almost melting back against me as I kept myself from touching her skin.

"You're late," she informed me, pulling away to give me a look. It was a beautiful look of irritation.

I smiled at her.

"You are," Brian informed me happily. "I've heard about it for the last twenty minutes."

"Mm, so sorry," I muttered, nuzzling at her hair again as I took the bar stool next to her.

"What are we doing tonight?" Andon asked happily, moving up to us. "Your little girlfriend didn't want to dance with me so I couldn't make plans."

I hid my irritation as L turned her head to _look_ at him. Her expression was one of regal disapproval, and I felt a thrill of pride.

Andon's eyebrows twitched briefly up, and he looked from her to me.

"The lady wills all," I informed my cousin, shrugging. "Maybe you said something to annoy her. She doesn't like dancing, either."

My cousin rolled his eyes, then flashed his teeth at the woman. "Why don't we teach her some manners?"

"We?" L asked him, spinning on the stool and crossing one leg over the other. "Are you ready to go?" she added to me curiously. "I'm ready to go."

I nodded my approval to her, rising again as Brian happily went to print a receipt of what she'd spent. I didn't have to look, but tipping was expected.

I would have teased my friend about making me spend money on her if Andon wasn't standing by us looking annoyed. He and our cousin Ethan had decided that wintering in Las Vegas would be fun.

Unfortunately, nobody had ever told them that winter ended around April.

It wasn't like I didn't have fun with them, but keeping up the charade of my life got wearing after a few months. Being at home and in private usually meant I could call my mom Mom and not Addy, though I still thought of Natalie as mom, too.

And that was a convoluted mess of bullshit that would kill my buzz if I focused on it too long.

I signed the receipt Brian passed me and let my hand linger briefly on his—and after a moment of worried apprehension, his eyes flickered up to mine in a languid challenge.

Aw, damn it. L must have told him I wasn't serious. That was no fun...or could be really fun if I played it right. My darker nature played along his senses briefly, but I ignored the impression I got of his fantasies. I didn't care to know that, and this game would probably be much more amusing in the long run than endlessly baiting him.

He looked startled, then worried as he avoided my eyes.

I laughed wickedly, tucking the receipt away and moving back slightly so L could move in front of me. She extended her hand back to me, and I took a moment to appreciate the fact that I'd over-fed as I took her hand. I flashed Andon a slight grin. "I probably won't be home tonight," I noted.

He gave me an annoyed look. "Ethan took off, too."

I gestured toward the club. "So find something to do."

He rolled his eyes at me again, but L's pull became more insistent. I smiled at him, then turned to follow the girl from the bar.

She was quiet as we made our way back outside the building, and the heat of the evening surrounded us.

"You okay?" I muttered, letting her hand go as soon as we were away from the steps. As we'd moved, my sense of her had changed from quiet determination to sadness.

"How do you go there?" she asked, meeting my eyes with an upset expression.

"I only feed here," I pointed out.

She looked away, shaking her head sadly as we turned into the parking garage again.

I dug my keys out as I considered what to say to her. There was no point in explaining the situation to her in greater detail. She was smart enough to put it all together herself, especially since she knew me.

"Andon," she said quietly as I unlocked my car. "Andon said his last name was Raith. I thought there weren't any male Raiths but your uncle."

"Andon's last name is Rossi," I retorted. "He's the second or third son of my aunt Patrice...my mom's sister."

She considered that, then snorted slightly. "What a tool."

I grinned at her, backing out. "I'd probably use it, too, if it weren't true and apt to get me killed. Raith is a powerful name."

She shifted how she sat as I started into proper traffic, then focused down on one foot. She flicked a slender ankle around to admire her toes or something. "Did you do that on purpose?" she asked, looking up to me.

"Do what on purpose?" I asked blankly as I looked around. "What are we doing now?"

" _Food_ ," she noted pointedly, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, Joshy."

I gave her as long a level look as I dared while we moved.

She laughed a silvery peal of amusement, settling comfortably into the chair. "The shoes, though," she added. "I can run in them."

"It was only partially on purpose," I shrugged. "I can't remember if you wear heels ever because you're always in jeans and sneakers...I figured that those were cute and strapped to your feet."

She nodded her approval, considering her toes again.

"What?" I asked, blinking at her feet as I tried to decide what she was on about.

"My toe nails," she explained, tilting her foot so I could see the top. "They aren't painted. It looks silly like this."

I blinked at that, then turned my head to _look_ at her.

She laughed again, smiling at me. "So let's start today over again. Hi, Josh...why are you still driving the Ferrari?"

"All the better to see you with?" I offered, tilting my head as I glanced to her chest.

She rolled her eyes at me again.

I grinned at her, then blinked as my phone started to vibrate. The ring-tone that followed as I fumbled it from my pocket was that of my Mom.

Why was she calling me?

I hit the button, resting my phone against my ear. "Hey, Addy."

"Hey, baby," she nearly whispered to me. "Don't come home tonight."

I blinked. "What?"

"Don't come home tonight," she repeated. "My father is landing as we speak. Don't come home, don't call. Me or Nat will call you again in a few days. Josh...you look like he did when he was young, like your uncle Thomas. Don't come home."

"Alright," I returned, feeling my stomach knot. "I'll get a hotel for a few days. Keep me updated—you know how to text don't you?"

She snorted at that and hung up.

I smiled slightly, then pulled into a parking lot.

"What?" L asked blankly.

I parked, then threw myself back in my seat, rubbing at my face.

My grandfather and his retinue of toadies were coming. Anymore, that meant Lara was probably coming, too...and god only knows if the other sisters would be coming. As far as I'd gathered, my uncle was established in Chicago, so he probably wouldn't be in the group—which would have been the only thing that made their presence interesting.

"Josh?" Ella asked quietly.

"My grandfather is coming," I explained in a falsely chipper voice. "They were landing as Addy spoke."

She considered me a moment, thinking about it. "You're not supposed to go home?"

I nodded at her, shrugging a little bit.

"Want to stay at my place?" she offered.

The idea of being in her place—in more than one way—had an appeal to it that wasn't wholly honest. I flashed her a wicked grin, wondering how long it would take me to lose my mind surrounded by her scent.

She gave me a look, smiling and rolling her eyes. "Never mind."

I laughed a little at that, rubbing at my face. "Stay with me," I suggested. "I'll get a room on the strip and we can go ogle the tourists."

"With all the smoke and come-ons to gamble?" she asked. "How thrilling."

I laughed at that, shrugging at her. "It's what I'm doing."

She gave me a look, then ran her hand along the top of my thigh.

I froze, glancing to the mirror briefly. My eyes were still gray, or was that the worsening light?

"You get a room and we'll see," she suggested, shifting back to consider me. "Let's do that, then we can go find food. If you're still not trying to eat me up, we can see if I stay the night."

I flashed her a grin, nodding a bit...as my phone started ringing again. This time it was Nat's ring-tone.

"Mom," I greeted her, wondering if it counted as irony or not.

"Hey, Baby," she greeted me, her voice also quiet. "The king is here. You probably shouldn't come home."

"Addy called me a bit ago," I reassured her. "I'm with L, we're gonna get a room."

"Alright," she returned. "Depending on how long he stays here, I may get a courier to bring you more cash. Do you need anything from here?"

I wished briefly that my saying yes would make her come to me, but it wouldn't. If I told her yes, she'd send some thrall out, or someone under her sway.

"No," I muttered quietly. "I can buy what I'll need."

"Be careful," she ordered me. "I'll get ahold of you in a few days, or Addy will. You could go to L.A., you know. Your aunt Leah is there and would probably like a visit from you."

"We'll see," I returned, wanting to roll my eyes. "Talk to you in a few days."

"Alright, love you," she muttered easily, hanging up.

I considered the traffic and the palm trees that were around us a long moment, then sighed and put my car in reverse.

"You gonna be okay?"

"I wish this hadn't happened to me," I noted bitterly, realizing vaguely that I was speeding. "That I hadn't had that woman and I was just a man...I'd go live with you and your family," I looked briefly to her and realized I was bitching.

What help would that be? None, in the end.

I sighed, shaking my head a bit, then smiling at her. "We can go pretend to be lovers, huh?"

"If I give you half an inch we will be," she retorted happily...as her stomach rumbled.

I grinned at that, suppressing my bitter feelings, then flashed her another smile.

I needed a drink...no, I needed several.

* * *

 ***L**

It was strange to move through the hotel toward a tower, strange to be dressed like a white court toy, strange to be _okay_ with walking through a gambling floor as a white court toy. I wasn't so sure that I _should_ be following an incubus to a private suite, even if he was a friend...maybe _because_ he was a friend. Here I was, though, following languid perfection that could eat me up, and make me _beg_ for him to do it.

I accepted his hand when he offered it to me, and allowed myself to take focus on the noisy sights of a Las Vegas casino instead of the vampire. There were people everywhere, and the scent of smoke was surprisingly light. The noise of the slot machines made up the difference, though, and the self-important people who wouldn't move out of the way.

Reaching the elevator was a relief, and the smile he directed at me was the private one he'd always shown me. We settled back in the car, and I rested against the back wall in relief.

"What do you want to eat?" he muttered as he hit the button for our floor. "Room service if you want."

"I'm thinking that extended alone time will be a bad idea," I admitted, studying him. "Or do you think you fed enough for it?"

"For today, I fed enough," he grinned, moving to lean against the wall. "I haven't been controlling myself lately, though, so my...control is lax."

I nodded, running a hand through my hair. Whatever he'd done to keep it up wasn't very secure, and pieces of it had been falling for a while.

"I always forget how hard it is to suppress it," he added, watching me thoughtfully. "It's so easy to just...let everything go. I'm sorry; I have been avoiding you for the last few months."

I tilted my head curiously at him.

"My cousins," he explained. "They came in for the winter, and wouldn't have respected that you're a friend. It would have been a case of my influence over you versus theirs, and either way would end badly for you."

I sighed, focusing on the mirror paneling beyond him to see the wind-blown mess my hair had become. "I guess that makes sense."

He caught my wrist before I could start to undo my hair.

"What?" I asked, blinking at him and pulling to see if he'd release me.

"I just told you I haven't been controlling myself," he pointed out. "You need to keep your internal walls up. You're comfortable enough to do your hair in front of me, that's actually sort of intimate, and I can't be a hundred percent certain I'm in control of myself."

"So old world modesty," I noted dryly, looking back around to him in amusement. "Also, my jeans and cami."

"I suggest something more substantial than a cami," he smirked at me. "Unless you wanna set me off."

"I've had the temptation once or twice," I retorted, pulling my hand away and resting back again. "But not tonight—and I don't have anything _but_ the cami and this dress."

"Ooh, oops," he purred at me, pulling the phone out and dialing something off the key-card. "Can you have a t-shirt sent up to my suite?" he asked easily. "Women's size..." he glanced at me.

"Large," I supplied.

"Large," he continued. "Probably something white."

I smacked him.

He laughed, fending me off one-handed. "As pristine white as you can make it, no flowers and not the hotel logo either." He started laughing. "Thank you,"

"Why is it always white with you?" I complained, kicking at his shin.

He laughed happily, straightening his pant-leg a little primly.

It was good to be with _him_ again. His influence could be utterly intoxicating, and I'd be lying if I tried to say I didn't love the freedom that sort of lust seemed to give me...but I'd known him for _years_ , and we weren't friends because of his darker nature. I'd missed him, and I had a feeling I always would miss him.

We bantered the rest of the way to the suite, and I considered the large open area with interest as we moved in. Someone had brought my silly little bag of clothes up, and there were three white t-shirts already laying on the back of the couch. They were all made of silky material, and each had some sort of design on it.

"I like this one," he noted, indicating one that had a v-neck. "You can have the cami on under it, too."

"I like this one," I retorted, picking up a different one and looking around. "I'm gonna take over this little room."

He flashed me a naughty smile and wandered toward the master with that rolling grace. I didn't know if he saw me watching, but it was always fun to watch him _move_.

I ducked into the smaller room and closed the door, moving to the little bathroom in it and starting to strip out of my dress. I hadn't realized that I smelled like that club until the white material of my dress moved under my nose...which meant it was time for me to shower.

* * *

 ***Josh**

I had to grin to myself as I heard the water start in L's little room. I had an overnight bag in my trunk, so I'd sent that up with the attendants—though I'd have to ask who'd gotten the shirts to my suite so fast. That was impressive service. I grinned, dropping onto the bed, then allowed myself to relax into the soft mattress. Tonight, L and I would run around and do silly things, tomorrow, I'd get some people worth watching up here and have a good time. If I played my cards right, I could do those parties for a few days, which would mean consistent feeding. I didn't figure L would want to stay with me any longer than that, she had classes and studying to deal with.

I let my mind wander, considering how many people to bring and what balance. I wanted more does than bucks, that was a given, but I couldn't only call up does because the staff would find that confusing, and L would be put-out with me. The males needed to be bucks who'd protect the does, that was for sure...and...Andon and Ethan wouldn't understand why I was avoiding the house with the king there.

Unfortunately, they were intelligent enough that they could probably figure out what the problem _was_. I needed to figure out a way to silence them in the long-run. I knew that I wouldn't have much of an issue with Andon, but Ethan was smart. To out-fox Ethan, I had to get a few tools involved—mainly the buck he favored. The young man had a brain left in his head, and Ethan used him like a secretary. I'd have to half poach him to get Ethan's attention, and while that would be the exact opposite of hard, it wasn't an effort I really wanted to expend.

...something moved.

I jumped up, lunging forward and using my forearm to pin the person to the wall...and realized that it was L staring at me in confusion. I blinked a few times as I stepped back from her, then looked around.

"Okay, I won't get room service," she half gasped at me, sitting on the shelf with the tv on it and pressing a hand to her throat.

"Shit, I'm sorry," I muttered, moving forward again to look at her throat. "I must have fallen asleep. Are you alright?"

She nodded, taking a long slow breath. "You scare the shit out of me all the time, you know."

I smiled ruefully at her, stepping back and running a hand through my hair. "So...do you want room service or should we go find somewhere?"

* * *

 ***Ryan**

Las Vegas was a crappy place to be during the summer; even worse, the heat was dry. Jeffery and Selena had already had bouts of dehydration and near collapse.

I glared down the sidewalk as the people walking and laughing around us ignored us. They didn't seem to look at us in more than passing, and one woman had broken into outright laughter as she stared at me. She'd tottered to her friends, and they'd carefully taken her into one of the buildings without looking around to us.

I was heartily sick, really, because the apprentices we were supposed to be finding were gone. They'd vanished. They had been sent to a dragon with a tribute, and we hadn't heard anything more from them.

"I think we should sit down again," Selena said distantly as she wandered toward a low wall closer to the street. There was a small area of bushes and trees behind her that didn't quite block out the view of the stopped cars on the strip. There was random honking, music, and laughter all around us, and I noticed Jeffery watching one of the ad-trucks going by. This one had a huge black sign on the back of it that said something about nude girls.

"Selena, no," I muttered, moving to grab her arm before she could settle. "Come on, we're not even close to the hotel yet."

She gave me a hurt look.

"Go get water," I ordered Kevin. "Come on, Selena," I persisted, dragging her to my side. "Imagine the hotel room with air conditioning and a hot shower."

She blinked at that a few times, then smiled slightly and looked up at me.

"Where am I supposed to _go_ for water?" Kevin asked me pointedly, looking the sidewalk area over.

" _Into_ the building," I snapped back.

"We all should," Jeffrey noted, blinking as he looked around. "The building will have air on and I'm pretty sure there are about a thousand benches in there."

"Have you been before?" Selena asked, blinking up at him.

He smiled slightly and nodded his agreement, then gestured.

I sighed and we all turned to wade through the people toward a large set of doors. We allowed the flow of people to buffet us into the building, and the air was noticeably cooler.

"Ry," Kevin muttered, pointing forward toward a large convenience store. We had to wade past the entry to some restaurant before we slowed at the glass-display of alcohol in the first window.

"It's nice in here," Selena muttered, spotting a bench as it emptied.

"Sit," Kevin muttered to us, gesturing slightly. "I'll get some water and snacks."

I nodded, watching him go as Jeffrey moved to drop on the bench and lean forward against his legs.

"So this was a bust," I said quietly, studying the store behind us. People were going in and out of them at a good clip.

"What the hell," a man muttered as he moved past us. "My phone just died."

I internalized a wince as he complained about how new his pretty toy was, and I wondered how many people around us were experiencing sudden technical difficulties.

"We did _not_ think this out," Jeffrey noted as he remained bent forward. "The plan was good enough for a start, but what part of the desert means no water?"

"The part where the city is full of it," I retorted, shifting as Selena rested her head against me.

"Full of something," Jeffrey agreed, rolling his eyes slightly as he looked up.

Kevin looked happy as he came from the shop, passing large water bottles to each of us. They were mercifully cold and sweating a bit.

"How much were these?" I asked in a slightly sick voice as I tried not to consider our budget.

"Not even two dollars," he returned, pulling out...small packages of food. "These costed more," he shook his head as he passed the first pack to Selena, then the second to Jeffrey. "I figure you and me will be okay to the hotel, but they needed something faster."

"Good thinking," I sighed as my stomach twisted a bit in protest. I opened the water bottle and tilted my head back to drink. We all were, and we sat there a moment partaking of the relief in a bottle in the cool air as people streamed around us having sudden difficulty with their cellphones.

Heh.

We decided it was time for a break without saying it, allowing ourselves to relax and cool off. We'd spent our day talking to low lives who all persisted that they had no idea what we were on about, and only really managed to cement that a dragon lived in Paradise—a fact which we knew.

"I always want to come in here, but the people irritate me!" a female was saying as she neared us.

"I never understand how you can live in this city and dislike people," a mildly cultured voice returned. There was an underlying strength and confidence to that voice.

...and coldness settled across my senses as a beautiful man moved nearer us with a woman who was merely pretty.

I stared at him, feeling my heart start to pound.

The woman laughed at him, continuing to flirt as he pursued her—she kept turning to walk backwards to talk to him.

Selena let out an appreciative breath. "Yummy."

"What?" Jeffrey asked, looking around to me again.

"I think that was a vampire," I supplied, frowning slightly.

"It was just a hot guy," Selena retorted, rolling her eyes. "You're all paranoid."

"I felt something from him," I muttered, looking to Jeffrey. "Did you? You?" I looked to Kevin.

They both shrugged at me vaguely.

I rubbed my arms, looking back to my friends as I let the unsettled thoughts fade away. It was probably just the air conditioning...what sort of conceit was it to assume I could pinpoint a vamp? My own mentor couldn't pick the whites out from a crowd.

"So," Selena muttered, taking a bracing breath. "Back to the hotel? Something about a shower sounds marvelous right now."

"As soon as we step out those doors, you're going to be wiped again," Kevin pointed out.

"I feel better again," she reassured him quickly, rising to her feet. "Let's get as much distance in before I collapse again."

I sighed and nodded as well. We all started for the exit, and I glanced back down the hall...and froze a half step as that man, the one who'd seemed like a vampire—he was _watching_ me. The woman he'd been with was out of sight, and he was standing at the entryway to a store and watching us. I met his eyes, feeling a brief urge to run and hide, but predators chase.

He had to be a vampire.

My heart thrummed harder in my chest as I realized something else. He was used to people noticing him, male or female, they'd notice him. He probably didn't even notice it. I smiled at him, trying to act like another human who'd had their head turned.

He smirked back at me.

I turned and darted out the doors, feeling my stomach lurch as I tried to control it.

We had a long ass way to go before our hotel, and in near a hundred-degree heat, it wasn't going to go very fast.

* * *

 ***Josh**

I watched the wizard leave the mall entry in amusement, waiting for L to finish looking the store over. I'd noticed them when we'd approached them and wondered whose bright idea it had been for them to go to Las Vegas. The woman was a pretty enough creature, but the males would protect her, and them being wizards and the war being what it was, I didn't feel like paying the insurance on the hotel room when that lot of psychos burned it down.

The one who'd met my eyes, he'd looked half panicked when I focused on him, and I'd watched his eyes as he decided to try and put me off. It was funny...it might have worked if I hadn't already noticed him.

"One problem I have with this town," L muttered as she rejoined me happily, "is that large could be anything from toddler sizes to plus sizes without any clarification."

"Mm," I agreed, moving up the hall as she ranted about sizing issues. We were having a good time as the day wore on, and I spotted a doe in a bar that looked divine. I slowed as I considered what L would say to me, slowing more to meet the doe's eyes.

Ella considered my face a moment, since she'd turned back to look at me, then turned to look the woman up and down slowly. She smirked flashing me a naughty look and wandering over to the retaining wall for the place.

The woman looked her over in return, glancing sidelong at me a few times as she smiled.

"Wanna have some fun?" L asked brightly.

I loved the girl so much! I moved up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist as I also looked the woman up and down.

"Very much so," the woman returned, running a manicured fingertip along the collar of L's shirt.

I pulled the little invite card from my pocket, sliding it into the collar of her shirt without actually touching her. I wasn't sure what that would do to Ella with the close proximity, and realized that she might be under my sway already.

The girl smirked between us, pulling her phone out and considering the time. "I'll come in three hours," she noted, spinning and walking away.

"Bring friends," Ella suggested.

I started laughing hard, pressing my mouth to her shoulder.

"I figured I'd get things going where you wanted them," she informed me, turning to walk backwards from me. "And you need to keep four or more feet back until I can't see the hall reflected in your eyes."

I laughed delightedly at that, giving chase. I wasn't sure I could stop following her, and the idea of touching her...lick her ear. That'd be the way of it.

She laughed more...and disappeared into a store.

I made a frustrated noise after her as a pair of women walking past slowed. They were both looking at me, and smiled invitingly.

It took me a few minutes to calm back down, and I watched L return from the store with a skeptical expression on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"You realize how _cold_ you are?" she asked skeptically. "Not right now, but when you were all pressed against me."

"You are a vixen," I muttered, turning away before my urge to kiss her kicked in. "And it's been fine, right? Only just this last half hour?"

She nodded, smiling at me and starting to walk again. "We should get some food, then pick up alcohol on our way back."

"I'm not...hungry," I noted, meeting her eyes.

"That's creepy," she informed me. "Don't let your irises change color while you're looking at me."

I laughed, tucking my hands into my pockets and looking around.

"I don't think my luring them in is a good idea at this point," she informed me.

"I know," I sighed. "I didn't think too much about it when you did it, but..."

"So give me cash," she extended a hand, "and I'll go find something to eat."

I sighed, pulling out the wallet and feeling a naughty urge as she waited. Before she could take the cash I offered, I caught her wrist and pressed my lips to it. I was starting to feel a wild abandon, an exhilaration. She gasped at me, and I pushed her back against the wall, leaning in. I wasn't going to do more, she'd probably get me in the balls for that...but she did need a moment to recover. She leaned there breathing erratically a moment, and I saw her eyes come back into focus. She lunged at me, and I started laughing as I ducked away.

"So, back at the hotel in an hour?" I asked brightly. "You want me to find you a b...a pretty boy?"

"You damn well better," she retorted, her cheeks slightly flushed.

I snickered, then turned and headed toward the hotel's fanciest bar as I left her standing alone in the hall.

* * *

 ***L**

I was furious that I hadn't got to hurt him, and the spot on my wrist was throbbing with my heartbeat. I turned and headed away from the ass in annoyance, debating what I wanted to eat. This place had a few sit down places, a ton of walk up ones, and nothing cheap.

I glanced down at the wad of cash in my hand and wanted to smack Josh again. It was at least a hundred dollars, and mostly seemed to consist of twenties. I pulled my wallet out and tucked the money in. I wasn't going to count it in the middle of the hall.

It didn't take me too long to find a bagel place, and I moved to sit at one of the little window tables to eat. My body had mostly calmed back down, but that spot on my wrist still felt sensitive. His eyes had gone whiter than usual before the pleasure of it had blanked my mind out for me, and I wondered if he'd actually fed. I studied the spot on my wrist thoughtfully as I ate, then sighed as my phone buzzed.

A picture of three guys.

I started laughing hard and told him the one in the middle. I wasn't sure why he thought that sending me a picture of the people he was bringing up to party was needed. He liked pretty things, even boys—hell, that poor guy who'd parked his car had been attractive, and he'd done something worse to him than he'd done to me.

It was entertaining to sit in the cool hallway and eat while receiving texts of hot guys. There seemed to be a lot more of them than I'd expect him to invite, but that probably had to do with how many women he was also inviting. Considering that he didn't have time to have left this casino yet, I had a brief pang of anxiety about how many people might be _included_ in this party.

But then, it wasn't _me_ throwing it. This was Joshua Rossi. He'd given me two hundred in twenties to buy a _snack_ with. It wasn't even food for the party, either.

I snorted as I finished eating, rising and stretching. I cleared up my little mess and turned to start down the hallway. My feet were sore, and I was actually cold. I headed for the exit to the bar my friend was in, then stood and semi-posed as I looked down the hallway at him. It was actually fun to do, because he noticed my presence faster than anyone. He would notice me, and then everyone else would notice me. I crossed both arms behind my back, leaning slightly to one side with the slightest opposite tilt to my hips.

Joshua, who'd been at the bar surrounded by pretty people, looked past them and _focused_ on me. He was the only one who ever looked at me like that, attention and hunger. It was great for the ego, really.

He considered me a long moment, then pushed through the crowd of butterflies without looking back. A few of the girls looked almost heartbroken, and any number of them were glaring directly at me.

"You called?" he asked with a smirk, though his body language was _not_ casual.

"I'm ready to go, darling," I returned easily, turning and starting away.

He followed me, and finally caught up to me at the exit to raise an eyebrow at me.

"My ego likes to see the pretty girls go green-eyed," I supplied. "I call you away from them effortlessly."

He laughed at that, turning and starting toward the hotel as he looked me over. "You didn't get me anything?"

"You said you weren't hungry," I reminded him.

He sighed at me.

I gave him a look in return, then pulled up my phone. "This one," I noted, indicating one of the males. "Did he seem nice?"

"My dominant nature will be bad for him," he retorted, shoving the phone back to me.

I started laughing, though I'd actually figured that part out in years prior. I wasn't actually going to tell him the one I found the most attractive because while I loved causing the girls to tear their hair out because he came effortlessly to me, he loved embarrassing the hell out of any guy who took my attention off of him if he weren't otherwise entertained. It was something we both knew about each other, and something we allowed each other to do for the simple pleasure of amusement.

"Really?" he asked as he stopped at a crosswalk a few minutes later. "That one?"

"Nah," I reassured him. "They're all good looking—not as good looking as you," I reassured him.

"Thank you," he noted seriously.

"I just wanted to see what you'd do, because even though I reassured you it's not him, you're still going to see him tonight and get anxious, huh?"

He started laughing, swatting at me as the crossing sign changed.

I grinned back, gesturing toward a burger stand. "You should get something to eat, and I think I want some fries."

He shrugged his consent and started for the little building.

I really did have fun with him...even on the strip.

* * *

 ***Ryan**

It was dark before any of us had the energy to move again.

We'd all returned to our hotel room, then hopped in the shower. When Selena and Jeffrey had finished, Kevin had let me go first, and I'd forced myself not to luxuriate in the hot water.

Hot water showers are amazing.

Both Jeffrey and Selena had opted to curl up for a nap, and while Kevin showered, I chanced the old washing machine up the hall. People had been going past in the hallway all afternoon, and as I came back with the load of laundry, a very pretty girl walked past.

She looked at me sidelong as she went, and I tried not to watch her legs. I couldn't help but glance back, and she smirked at me over her shoulder before disappearing into the little inlet that led to the elevators.

I smirked to myself, heading into our room again. I'd packed light when we got this assignment, and after the amount of sweating I'd done during the day, I figured we were doing a load a day at least until we _found_ the pair of apprentices.

Unfortunately, we were going to need to actually talk to the dragon.

I sighed as I folded my stuff and dumped it back into my bag, looking around as Kevin pursed his lips.

"Hm?" I asked quietly.

"You wanna...go down?" Kevin asked, indicating the hall. "I know we don't have the money to really gamble...but maybe the bar and a drink?"

I thought that over a moment, then nodded my consent. I moved over to the hotel's notepad, scribbling a note to the sleeping pair.

"Gambling our budget, back at midnight?" Kevin asked dryly.

I grinned at him, turning to pick up the little key card again with a frown. I wasn't sure the little magnetic strip would hold up to much more, but I supposed the hotel staff would make me another one if we had to.

The hotel, Excalibur, was huge; we could see flashes of other casinos when we passed by windows. We were both nervous of the elevator, and were sure to use a different one than we had earlier in the day.

"Why couldn't we be on the ground floor?" Kevin muttered as he leaned down and considered the floor. "What sort of circle could we make in here?"

The elevator started down at a fast pace, and I pressed myself against the wall, closing my eyes. I hated the sensation of falling. Kevin kept talking, and I took a moment to find the pressure point on my wrist to stop nausea as I pretended to listen to him. We reached the ground quickly, and moved into the hallway. People were moving around us, and we waded out of the end, exchanging a look.

"I'm not sure I'm actually up for this," Kevin muttered as he rounded the corner to see one of the grand halls that led onto the casino floor. It was loud, and people were walking around in all sorts of outfits.

It was interesting to watch, really, and we walked the main path between banks of slot machines.

"So," Kevin muttered, spotting a bar. "Get a drink?"

"If we can afford it," I returned dryly, following him over. He leaned over to talk to the bartender, then dug out his wallet to show the man his ID.

I followed, showing the man my ID as well, then hesitating before ordering a rum and coke. I'd have loved to try any sort of other mixed thing, but I had a feeling the prices weren't as straight forward as eight dollars no matter what.

It was actually pleasant. We turned to wander toward a lounge area and took seats on one of the couches, watching everyone around us. There was a subtle sense of power to the place, and I could feel it more and more as we watched people walking around. I was fairly certain Kevin would dismiss it if I brought it up, so I didn't bother.

"Wanna look outside?" I offered. "We don't have to go anywhere, just look."

"We can't be gone long," he reminded me as he stood. "But I do want to go look around."

I nodded and we turned to wander toward the nearest entrance. There were posters everywhere, advertisements for strip clubs, normal clubs, restaurants, and shows. There was even a moving sidewalk, though Keven and I weren't rude enough to break it down by walking on it. We walked the path beside, considering the skyline as we stepped from the cool interior of the building...into the still ridiculously warm night.

"Wow," Kevin muttered as we moved nearer and nearer the road to feel more and more heat. "This isn't supposed to stay this hot when the sun goes down, is it?"

I grinned at him, finishing my drink and starting to crunch on ice. We weren't the only ones with drinks in hand, and we wandered through an odd hallway intersection that led to...air bridges.

We stopped at the intersection as someone played a guitar in the distance. The streaming and chattering crowd split around us without comment, and we hesitated to cross.

"I don't think we should," Kevin decided after a minute. "I mean, not without telling them."

I nodded, turning and moving back up the sidewalk we'd walked. It was a bit of let down, really, a long walk for no gain. Ah well, it was our own fault.

"Well, let's go look at the main entry," he decided as we entered the building again. "It might have something more to look at."

I shrugged my agreement, though, setting the cup on top of a trash can with about thirty others. We moved through the huge entry doors into the car pull-through to see more people. They were waiting by a taxi stand, wandering around a valet booth, and otherwise talking or walking in the brightly lit pull-through area.

Kevin and I moved through the throng along another sidewalk, listening to the street noise and laughter. Wind breezed past us, but it was hot...that wasn't to say it didn't feel good, it just didn't really help.

We sighed as a car moved up behind us.

...and stopped next to us.

We stepped back as a thin man in a suit stepped from the machine, bowing very slightly as he indicated the car door.

"We didn't order a ride," Kevin muttered.

He said something in a language we didn't know.

I looked to Kevin.

"He says get in," the driver noted as the window rolled down.

"We didn't order a ride," I noted, stepping back to wave him away.

The tall man sighed and grabbed me by the arm. With all the casualness of hanging a jacket, he shoved me into the back seat. Before I could properly move, Kevin had landed on my lap.

"Hey!" I protested, wishing I could think of something more interesting to say as Kevin fell to the floor. The machine wasn't quite a limo, but there was more than enough from for all of us, with a bench for three in the normal spot, and a bench for three facing it. The driver started moving, and the car doors locked. I lunged across the seat to try and open that door.

There was no lock latch on the inside.

I closed my eyes, concentrating slightly, and focused on the spot a lock should be. "Hexus."

My curse did nothing.

I stared down at that, cranking more at the handle since I was out of ideas. I'd initially expected this to be a mistake, but considering that the car had made it out onto the road, I didn't think it actually was. My first clue had been the guy throwing us _into_ the damn car. Maybe we should have started screaming early.

Kevin managed to get himself onto the seat next to me, breathing heavily as he looked around. He also tried the handle, and we both sat back to stare at the man in front of us.

The window between the driver and us slid down a few inches. "Sit tight," he suggested. "The drive is only about ten minutes."

"What?" I snapped back, wishing again that I had my sword.

The window closed.

"Damn it," Kevin complained, looking around. We'd left the area of the strip, gone over some highway, and were heading into the city proper. The roads were lined with normal businesses, and I was pretty sure I saw a normal neighborhood beyond that.

The tall man was sitting with perfect posture and his hands on his knees as he stared past us. He blinked occasionally, but made no other attempts to even appear human.

"What the hell do we do now?" Kevin demanded.

"Kick out a window?" I suggested.

"In a car like this, it'll be shatter proof," he retorted.

"Well, then what do we do?" I retorted.

He started bickering with me, and since I wanted to vent some fear, too, I went along with it. We went back and forth until the car started to slow, then focused out the windows.

A huge house.

I stared as the car turned into a wide gated drive, watching as the gates started closing behind us. That would almost be intimidating if I didn't know I could make it die...Or could I? The door hadn't unlocked...unless my curse had made it break and it would always and forever remain locked. That was an unfortunate option.

"What is this place?" Kevin asked the tall man, frowning slightly.

The man said some long convoluted foreign thing, and the one word that I actually caught was the one word I was not expecting.

Bui.

It had to be a coincidence, he could not have just said the name of the damn _dragon_.

The car pulled to a stop and parked before the doors unlocked, and before I could make a lunge for mine, the door on Kevin's side opened and a smiling Asian man bowed, focusing on Kevin. "Thank you for agreeing to come see us," he said in perfect English. "Please come right this way."

"What?" Kevin demanded, then noticed goons behind the man. He hesitated, then slid out of the car. Before I could protest, the tall man made a motion toward me, and I darted for the open door before he could grab me.

"Thank you for agreeing to come see us," the man said again, bowing to me. "Please come right this way."

I huffed as I slid from the machine, moving to stand near Kevin as we considered the ornate arrangement of cacti around the yard. A few of the bushes were taller than we were, and they were growing under all of the windows.

Well, if we climbed out that way, we might have a bit of a problem.

"This way," the man said, though his expression became less pleased as he looked our outfits over. He bowed without comment, turning and heading for the house.

Considering that he was in the full butler outfit, including white gloves, I felt decidedly underdressed. I consoled myself with the fact that I'd never been part of a kidnapping before, and without adequate preparation, I couldn't be expected to do it all properly.

"The first time is messy," I muttered under my breath.

"I can't believe I understand you," Kevin retorted, following the man through the ornate glass doors.

There was actually a red carpet from that door straight down the hall to a room that had no door and looked round.

"Please follow the carpet to the sitting room," the man urged. "You are a guest in our home, and Gable Bui will attend you momentarily."

"Thank you," I said as my stomach tightened, turning and walking the little path to the little meeting room.

"Guests in his home?" Kevin hissed at me.

"What does it mean?" I asked, thinking quickly. "Guests...so be polite, no harm to people who live here or are invited here...help if something happens, and don't tell anyone details, right? That's all of it?"

Kevin looked away, obviously thinking quickly and nodding.

"And he has to protect us, be polite, and basically not kill us? That man said we're guests, so that holds right?"

"I'm still sort of getting sick over the fact that I'm pretty sure this is a _dragon_ ," Kevin retorted.

"Same here," I agreed, taking a long slow breath as I considered the small table in the room. "Why do I get the feeling that we were supposed to be asked to join them?"

"I think that first man said it," Kevin admitted.

I nodded, looking around and moving to sit at one of the chairs. I ran my hands over the arm rests as I considered the tiny cookies sitting near a teapot, looking around to see that Kevin was staring at a basket of twenty-ounce drinks in ice.

"Grab me one," I muttered, wanting to take something so it was obvious I'd accepted my guest rights. I was definitely underdressed to meet this man, but...

A feeling like a heartbeat moved through the house and I looked up.

I could hear someone talking as Kevin sat next to me, and wondered how he could be so casual with that throbbing sensation of power that was incredibly close.

"What?" Kevin asked as he opened the bottle and took a long drink before sighing.

I opened mine as well, drinking from it as the voice got closer. There was the sound of a confirmation, and then...an Asian man appeared.

I stood immediately, and Kevin followed suit a moment later.

"Ah, Mr. Halgar, Mr. Ruix. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

"In the spirit of clear communication," I said quickly, "we did not actually agree to join you...though we would have, had we been asked."

The man blinked at me, then moved forward to offer his hand. "I do apologize, of course."

I shook it, but my knees had started the process of turning to jelly.

That heartbeat of power? That sound that I _felt_...it was his _footsteps_.

"I'm afraid I asked Owen to bring you to me, and neglected to mention the fact that it should be a proper invitation. I now understand the reason for such casual dress, and am therefore not offended by it."

"I do apologize," I agreed quickly. "Thank you for inviting us into your home and providing the refreshments. It's...it's quite warm."

He smiled, and I watched his eyes light up with amusement. He offered his hand to Kevin. "I do apologize."

"I accept your apology, and apologize," Kevin said quickly.

The man smiled at him, gesturing for the chairs. "Please, sit. I imagine you're wondering why I wanted to speak with you."

"Yes, sir," I agreed, sitting quickly and keeping my attention on him intently. I felt tiny in his presence, like a kitten looking up at a giraffe.

"I am Gable Bui," he noted as he sat and poured himself some tea. "Tea?"

I shook my head, showing him the drink I'd taken.

He nodded, moving on as if there'd been no pause. "A few days ago, I was visited by a lovely pair of children. They were delivering a tribute to me, a book. There was one boy and one girl, and I believe the female was related to someone of importance. At any rate, I accepted the tribute and gave them a gift for your council." He looked between us a moment. "In the interest of communicating clearly, you understand. We supped together, I enjoyed their...delightful company for a time, and they returned to their hotel. As I've come to understand it, the pair were supposed to return some days ago, and they have not yet been found. Allow me to express my own concern, and reassure you that I have set my people to track them down."

"I'm sorry," Kevin said. "This will sound rude; I don't mean it to. Why would you do that?"

The man nodded slightly, taking a slight breath as he looked back to me. "I would think that would be obvious, Mr. Ruix. Many peoples fear my kind. In the past, when we've been offended, we dispatch those offenders with prejudice."

"Eating them seems like extreme prejudice," I offered.

He nodded his consent to the statement. "When I heard that the children had disappeared, I assumed that a team would be along to find them. I knew you'd need to speak with me, so I arranged to make that meeting at my personal convenience, though I in no way intended for the abduction to happen. I do hope no one was hurt?"

"No one," I agreed. "I was upset at first, but there are no hard feelings for a misunderstanding."

He nodded his approval of that, shifting how he sat as he sipped from his cup. "I've had my people draw up a record of the visit," he noted. "I was intending to send my surveillance videos on, which I will still do if you'd like, but as I understand it, wizards have issues with technology."

"I appreciate the offer," I noted, thinking about it. "If you're willing, I'll contact the council and ask them how they'd like to proceed."

He nodded again, taking another sip of his tea.

I cracked my bottle again, mildly embarrassed at the loud sound it made.

"I don't know if it has any relevance," he noted, "but that the pair were holding hands at every possible moment."

Kevin and I both met his eyes.

He smiled slightly. "It was quite sweet, actually. I find most humans repugnant, and wizards tend to make my hair curl, but they were cute."

I nodded, blinking a few more times.

"Well," he sighed, draining his cup. "I'm afraid I don't have time to sit and chat. I hope you don't think me rude."

"Of course not," I said quickly, rising and nearly dumping my drink. "I appreciate this information."

"But do you believe it?" he asked. He'd stood, and was considering my face seriously.

"I'm inclined to," I agreed. "Though, as you've said, your kind has a history of unsettling my kind."

He _smiled_ at me. It was more than just the light in his eyes, it was a full flash of teeth. He looked human, but that smile showed more teeth than a human mouth should, and I tried not to notice that his beautiful white teeth were pointed. They were too elegant to be shark-like, and as I watched, he blinked.

He had a second set of eyelids that came in from the sides like a dog's or a cat's, that thin membrane eyelid.

"Once you have the response of your council, call this number," he suggested, pulling a business card from his pocket. "If you have any other questions, my secretary will take them. I will respond as promptly as I am able. If you are ready," he offered his hand for me to shake, "the car will take you back right away, or to any other place you need to visit."

I shook it, bowing my head respectfully. "Thank you for your hospitality. I hope your night goes well."

He smiled with his teeth again, though his eyes didn't quite light up, then turned and walked away.

Thrum, thrum, thrum, thrum...

I swallowed.

"I'm not sure why I was ignored," Kevin noted in an undertone, "but I'm sort of glad of it."

I nodded at him, tucking the business card into my wallet as the butler reappeared to smile at us and wait.

The dragon had said we could leave when we were ready, and I had the brief urge to sit back down. I was still a little offended at him judging our outfits when we'd gotten out of the car, so the idea of a bit of petty vengeance appealed; I didn't actually want to be in this house longer than I had to, though, so I turned and led the way across the hall.

"I hope your business went well," he noted happily. "My master seemed pleased."

"I enjoyed our meeting," I muttered as he oved to pull the house door open for us. "And I believe our business did go well. Thank you for your hospitality."

He smiled at me as he moved to pull the car's door opened, bowing slightly to us.

I climbed in with Kevin behind me, and we settled back and blinked at the driver. The window between the two parts of the car was down, and he flicked his eyebrows at me in question.

"Back to the hotel, please," I noted.

He nodded, focusing on the driveway.

I watched the huge house as we went, admiring the architecture and the fact that the yard wasn't full of green grass or anything impractical like that. The entire thing was decorated with desert plants.

Kevin took a long slow breath, then opened his drink to empty it.

I waited to be out of the driveway before following suit, and realized with a bit of embarrassment that I'd left my bottle's lid on the table.

Well, maybe he'd tell the next _mortals_ who came to visit him that _we_ were cute.

What the hell had happened? I'd thought speaking with him would have helped us find them, not make things more complicated.

Damn.


	3. Chapter 3

***Ryan**

It didn't seem to take as long to get back to the hotel as I thought it would, and we both sighed tiredly as we climbed out of what had to be a town car. I looked the pull through over and realized that everyone was staring at me.

I looked away, moving so Kevin could join me. The car pulled away behind us, and someone moved to pull the hotel doors open for us.

I felt sort of important.

I grinned a little foolishly as we moved back into the cool air of the casino floor, looking around. A woman was watching me, the same sort I'd been seeing all day. She was tall, all voluptuous curves and confidence. I smirked at her, wondering if maybe Kevin and I could afford a second room, and she smirked back, walking over to me to offer me a card as she looked me up and down.

I looked down at it, expecting it to be one of those hire-your-own stripper things. There seemed to be a hundred people along the strip passing them out. I had to blink at a pristinely white card, though, with words printed on it in navy blue ink.

 _Please join me in suite 726_.

I blinked at it, realizing that the rest of the information was the hotel. I considered what that likely meant, then looked up to the woman.

"Coming?" she asked happily, snatching the card back from me and tucking it between her breasts before linking her arm in mine. "My name is Jessica, and they told me to bring friends."

I looked to Kevin, but he was busy being flirted with by a slightly shorter model. She had her bare thigh against his, and he was trying hard not to touch it.

This was probably not going to end well, but I started walking with her as I thought over ways to get away without being rude. It was hard to think, though, when she was leaning into me and _breathing_ like that. Her neckline was low, and her fingernails were long and blood red as they rested against my chest.

We moved through the hotel, where she passed the card to a security officer. He looked her over disinterestedly as he studied the card, then looked our group over. He marked something down in a binder as he passed the card back to her, then smiled a bit wanly at me.

Yeah, I most likely looked a bit pole-axed.

I blinked as we moved to the elevator bank and she hit a button. She moved to lean into me, sliding a thigh up between my legs as she tilted her head.

"I don't know if I should," I cleared my throat as she continued moving her leg. "I don't...I wasn't invited."

"No, they said for me to bring friends," she persisted, considering my chest as she moved her nails along it. "You're not going to make me go up there by myself are you?"

I was going to be the butt of a joke; I was fairly certain of that. I blinked at her as she shifted against me.

"It's fine," she persisted quietly. "Please?"

I'm pretty sure my brain exploded or froze or something, because I couldn't think of a reason _not_ to do _exactly_ what she wanted. She started asking about my work as we entered the elevator, and why I was dressed so casually. Kevin started laughing as one of the girls crawled _onto_ him, wrapping her legs around his waist as I saw a flash of her ass. Jessica shifted between us, looking at me before asking how long I was in the city. I forced myself to talk to her as she asked if I'd ever been invited to a personal suite before, and wondered if this really _was_ a trap. If the dragon had done something to the kids, if he wanted to cover it up...

We moved into a quiet hall when the elevator stopped, and the girls around us started giggling more. I wondered why I wasn't jealous that they were all falling on Kevin, since he had one on each arm as one teased him forward...

Venus damn fly trap.

I frowned, slowing.

"What's wrong?" Jessica asked curiously, her hand moving down my abdomen.

"I'm pretty certain we're being played here," I explained. "Why did you bring us?"

"I can't like a man?" she asked, leaning in close as she studied my face, winking as she kissed my cheek. "The guy who invited me proceeded to invite about ten other girls. He said for me to bring friends, and I decided that if he wanted to play, I would, too. Don't worry, I'm sure you and I can find somewhere quiet."

I was probably going to die tonight.

I followed after her as she tugged at my waistband, and Kevin caught my eye. He was smirking, but I could see the same worry there.

I looked around, feeling a moment of anxiety. The halls all had the same patterned carpet. The doors were set at exact intervals, and I could no longer see side halls.

"Besides," she whispered as I realized music was coming from ahead. "At the very least we can go find your pretty car."

Pretty car? My car was...oh.

Oh.

I smirked in relief, deciding to really give the party a brief shot. That car we'd arrived in was expensive, and we'd been dropped off at the main doors as it drove away. We weren't really the right sort of person for this party, but they didn't know that. I was in Vegas, and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to try and see a suite when a pretty girl had her hands half down my pants.

When we got there, there were double doors, and they were open. There were people in there, and most of them looked like models. It was definitely more women than men. A few of them greeted Jessica happily, and she whispered something at me before vanishing into the group. I had a heartbeat of being alone before different girls showed up.

What the hell?

I laughed and joked with them, wondering if there was something about the way I was dressed that made them think I was rich, or maybe the smell of the dragon's house had invaded my clothes...

Or maybe this really was a trap.

I blinked, looking around. The music, the laughter, even a tv with videos playing at random. It looked like one of those tv parties that never really happened no matter how hard you tried. I wandered around until a few of the guys called me over to a bar against one wall. They poured me a drink that consisted of clear liquid, and I hesitated before taking a sip. The guy seemed proud of himself, so I smiled since it wasn't a bad flavor, and then they tugged me off over to the pool table.

The night settled after that. There were more people showing up, and one of the girls came up to me and told me to follow her. I did, and we went into an empty room...and, well, I got laid. These people had somehow been fooled by the car. I had no idea if Jessica had told them all about it, or if there really were some other cue they were picking up on, but returning to the main room had me yanked back to the pool table and given another drink.

I sighed as I finished it, realizing that it was going on four in the morning.

Oh. Shit.

I stared at the clock, turning to look the room over again...until I saw a girl. She was pretty, girl next door pretty. She didn't look like a model, and she didn't look...well, rich.

She met my eyes, smiling as she moved over to me. "Hello."

"I've heard that's the best pick-up line," I noted, feeling like an idiot even as the words left my mouth. I was winning the table, and the guy pouring the drinks didn't seem to want me to have an empty glass.

"You can't tell me it's not funny to have someone tell you your ass is out of this world," she protested brightly.

"I've never had the pleasure," I retorted, settling so I could stand without falling over.

She shifted, and I realized that she was looking at my ass. I started laughing, turning away from her.

"Really?" she gave me a happily perplexed look.

Wait a minute...it was...the girl, from the mall.

With the vampire.

I let my smile fade as I looked up and around.

"Calm down," she protested happily. "I'm really not the sort to judge. Are you having a good time?"

"Yeah, but I need to get going," I noted, looking around for Kevin as my heart pounded harder in my chest.

"It's only four," she protested happily. "Dawn's in an hour, you're good."

I pointed at the far window, where the sun was actually rising already.

She laughed happily, and a stir went through the room. She shifted and wandered away from me without a backwards glance, and I couldn't help but focus...on him.

His eyes were silver.

I stared in disbelief as that man from before sauntered out of the back room. I could tell he was only wearing a pair of jeans, and he laughed as he talked to the girls. They all flocked to him while the guys looked less enthused, but we were all drawn in anyway. We were all pulled toward him, and I swore as I tried to back away.

Kevin was standing at the entrance, and he wasn't smirking anymore. He looked a little ruffled, and I watched his eyes widen.

I looked back...to see the bloody white walking toward me with an interested expression.

"Uh, hi," I muttered lamely, trying to think of the fastest way to back off as my body shifted nearer.

He moved directly up to me, studying my face, then looked around. The silver of his eyes was terrifying, and the air around him seemed icy. I was starting to feel my own pulse, and every second he felt even colder as he looked around. I felt an insane urge to bring his attention back to me, just a touch of his arm. I wanted his attention on me, even as I started panicking internally. I looked around quickly trying to figure out what he was looking for, and realized it a moment later.

...that girl. He could probably smell her or something, because he looked me over and smirked. His hand rested briefly on my shirt, then turned to walk toward her.

Well, that was uncomfortable.

I turned to start away, knowing I shouldn't be so obvious, but not able to help it. I neared Kevin, following his gaze

The girl had turned to the vampire happily, but she wasn't touching his skin and he wasn't touching hers. He leaned in close to talk to her, walking her backwards to the wall. She bumped it and burst out laughing, then swatted at his shoulder. I could see the energy almost spark between them as he leaned in. He was obviously about to kiss her, but she avoided it with a naughty giggle and ducked away. He gave immediate chase, and she joined the group Jessica was in, and neatly ducked around the girl. It peeled his attention off of her and onto the other girl, and Jessica moved nearer to him like a moth to a flame.

So this was his party.

I stared at him as my heart hammered in my chest, then felt a touch on my arm. I turned to see Kevin, and he turned to stroll away from me.

I followed him, setting my cup on a table as I went, then moved into the hall.

I let out a gasp of relief as I leaned against the wall. That insane pull toward the white almost seemed to vanish.

"We need to walk away," he said seriously, pulling at me. "Because we have survived a vampire this far, and that's not going to happen if he actually _notices_ us."

"He actually noticed _me_ ," I complained. "He noticed me at the mall, he nearly _touched_ me, and my senses are frazzled."

He yanked me after him, and we headed down the hall quickly. We waited until we were out of the immediate view of the doors to run, and I felt a moment of relief as we slid into an elevator.

"So," he muttered happily, "how's it feel to be sucked in by an incubus?"

"Like you've lost your mind, and your instinct to run is working backwards," I retorted, leaning into the wall. "Like your skin is on fire; it was like breathing ice and needing it like oxygen."

He grinned at me. "How did you let him get that close to you, idiot?"

"That girl," I complained. "She was at the mall with him. I didn't realize it at first, she started talking to me, and then I realized it, and then he came out of the room."

"Considering that it's been hours and we hadn't seen him at all," he noted, "I wonder if anyone died."

"I doubt it," I returned, hesitating as the doors opened and moving out onto our floor. I hadn't been in the main room the whole time, and considering that I'd lost Kevin _before_ that...

"He went directly to you," Kevin noted, studying me. "You really okay?"

"I said it was the girl," I pointed out. "He only got that close because he could sense her or smell her. When he saw her, he went after her."

"I actually saw it all," Kevin retorted. "Probably clearer than you did."

I made a face at him, starting to feel clearer in the head again...at least a little. I stumbled, blinking.

"How much did you drink?" he asked blankly.

"I have no actual idea," I retorted. "The last time I noticed the time was around eleven. I thought we should get going soon, and then..." I trailed off, smirking at him.

"We just survived a vampire," he noted, looking around. "How did we survive a vampire?"

"I think because he was in that room most of the time," I reminded him.

"He marked you," Kevin noted, indicating our room with a wave of his hand.

I groaned at him, pulling out the room key and sliding it into the lock.

Nothing happened.

I slid it again, then again. I checked the room number, then looked around to Kevin.

The door opened and Jeffrey looked out at us with an intensely unimpressed expression.

I moved into the room, then turned immediately into the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before throwing up, and I had a feeling my night was not going to end well.

* * *

 ***L**

There were sleeping people all over the suite, and I moved into the room I'd claimed as mine with some trepidation. I'd noticed people going in and out of it all night, but the bed was still made, and I was not going to look at the carpets or the walls. I yawned as I climbed into the bed, and smirked as the door opened behind me.

"You alright?" Josh asked curiously as he moved nearer to me. "You have a good time?"

"Yes," I agreed, yawning at him. "I want to sleep a few hours at least."

"Noon at the earliest," he agreed, stretching and dropping next to me on the mattress. "I had a good night."

"Do you have to feed like that every night?" I asked skeptically. He really had spent most of the time in that room.

"Nah," he yawned. "It was just the thing to do tonight. You have fun talking to the wizard?"

"Huh?" I asked blankly.

"The wizard," he repeated, opening his eyes to blink at me. "The last time I came to get someone I couldn't find you. You'd been talking to him right before."

"How would you know that, and how would I know he was a wizard?" I protested. "And aren't your two...nations...at war? Why would they come up?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted happily. "But he was and you talked to him, and he was panicking as I walked up to him. It was great, I wanted to touch him, but then you were by a pretty boy, and that needed attention."

"Why?" I retorted, rolling my eyes. "We both know you're king shit, so why are you so insecure?"

"All kings are insecure," he retorted happily. "I have an ego the size of the ocean, and you're the only girl who turns me down. What did he have that I didn't?" he smirked at me briefly. "Don't actually answer that, I want you to see how little logic I had going on."

I snorted at him, shifting and climbing under the sheet with another yawn.

"Anyway, the war ended a while back," he added. "And the only reason this area hasn't gone up in flames is because the dragon."

"The huh-what?" I demanded, actually looking at him. There was no way in hell he was talking about a giant magical lizard.

"Yep, giant lizard," he agreed, almost as if reading my mind. "He's in human form most of the day, but I'm pretty sure he spends his nights wandering here as a giant magical flying lizard."

I started giggling in spite of myself, realizing how intensely tired I was.

"I'm almost positive he could swallow me whole," he added.

"So...what was a wizard doing here?" I asked blankly.

"I think he was brought by one of the girls," he noted thoughtfully. "I mean, I saw him at the mall yesterday," he yawned. "But there was no reason for him to be here."

I nodded, sighing slightly.

"I'll ask..."

"Joshy," I muttered happily, "stop talking."

"But I can be by you and think properly," he whined.

"And I love that, but I'm tired."

He snickered slightly, shifting up to lay at the pillow properly. He flopped over so his back was to me, and I flopped the same. I pressed into his back, appreciating that he'd put his shirt back on, and we both yawned.

* * *

 ***Josh**

Waking up as the afternoon shifted slowly by outside was pleasant, and I flopped over to watch L. I'd glutted myself as much as I possibly could, and that meant that we could go to a movie or do anything. It's the thing I should have done before picking her up in the first place, and I was realizing that the day would be good.

She stretched languidly, opening her eyes to blink at me. I watched her focus on me, and she smiled immediately before swatting at me.

"Good morning," I returned. That was actually a fairly normal greeting from her. "How you feeling?"

"Good," she shoved herself up and looked around. "You?"

"Good," I agreed, sitting up and yawning. "Let me brush and we can go do something."

"I need a little more time to wake up than that," she retorted happily.

"Fine," I retorted, moving to wander into the main room. There'd been people all over when I'd gone to bed, but they'd all vanished. I moved into the main bedroom and appreciated that it was empty as well before wandering into the bathroom.

Waking up was pleasant, and we both wandered into the main room to flop together on the couch. L brought over a leftover pizza, and we flicked the television on. It was nice to have the casual intimacy back, and it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't had that party.

"What do you want to do?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know, we should hit a mall or something," I returned. "Run around and pretend that we're both normal twenty-somethings. I'll pretend I'm trying to impress you."

"Your king's ego?" she asked happily.

"It's much more fragile than it looks," I agreed brightly, looking around to her.

She laughed happily at me, climbing off the couch to stretch.

* * *

 ***Ryan**

I was never going to hear the end of getting dragged off to a party. We had to call and report what had happened with the dragon, and then I had to own up to how we'd been distracted from reporting in immediately while my entire body rebelled against me. I opted not to mention that it was a party thrown by a white, which made me look that much more like an idiot.

I groaned as I lay back on the bed, staring across the room. Jeffrey and Selena had wandered off to see the casino at least, and I'd stayed to try and sleep it off. Kevin was only better than me by a margin, and that margin was that he hadn't puked.

It might have helped him if he had.

I forced myself up and headed into the bathroom again, rinsing my face. I needed to drink more water, and I'd asked Selena to bring me back some sort of sports water, but I didn't know if she would, and she'd been threatening to be gone until four in the morning, too.

"So," Kevin muttered happily. "We're going to have to do work today."

"I can't really think," I retorted, staring at the room's windows. "And I don't know what to do anyway. I believe Bui. He said they left."

"And as we were picked up by the vampire, they might have been as well," he pointed out. "Those girls told me that they saw your car. I'm not sure why it's yours instead of mine, but they saw your car."

I blinked at him.

"Jessica claimed you," he agreed with a smirk. "The rest of them were trying to claim me. I felt like a side of beef that they all wanted."

I snorted slightly.

"Those guys pulled you to the pool table, and everyone was giving us drinks. I was almost positive we were about to be drugged, and then you didn't care."

"I figured out the car thing," I shrugged back. "And since neither of us knew about the vampire part, I figured we may as well party."

"I wish you'd have mentioned it to me. I thought that woman had somehow got you under a spell. I was trying to get you away from her and no one was letting me. It was creepy, and then one of the girls got me to take a drink. It was...intense."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what alcohol that was, but it wasn't something light."

"It was a good time," he admitted.

"Until it wasn't," I retorted. "Until it was a vampire's party that we joined without real permission."

"Until you were marked by a vampire," he agreed happily. "You have all the fun. The only attention I had all night was from two pretty girls."

I snorted at him. "You think I only got that white?" I demanded. "Because I really didn't. I'm sure it was because they all thought the car was mine, but I did not lack for attention."

He started laughing.

I sighed, moving to grab a water bottle. There was food on the table, and I peeked into the containers to see french toast.

"So we need to eat," I noted, opening the second container to see the same thing. I passed him a package and a plastic fork, moving back to sit. "I need a lot more water. Do you have any ideas?"

"We'll have to get the staff to answer us," he shrugged. "I have pictures of both of them. We can tell them enough of the truth...I mean, they were sent here as a special prize, they're barely twenty-one, we need to find them to be sure they're okay."

I sighed and nodded my agreement. I'd really hoped the dragon would have the news for us in the end, but wish in one hand...

* * *

 ***Josh**

There he was.

I focused on the wizard as L continued talking. He was talking to the staff at a little side-booth, and I waited for him to finish. L was telling me about something inane, and I was listening well enough to her that I could track it. I followed the wizard, realizing that I was doing this to be vindictive. There was no other reason to antagonize him, but I'd seen his fear.

Actually, I realized with some amusement that there was a way to get a few moments of intimacy with him, I wouldn't even have to do anything distasteful, either. I could invade his space, stop him. He'd have to acknowledge the fear, and he'd know damn well that I was causing it. Not my normal style, but intimacy I could use to my advantage. L would probably be furious with me for it, but the vindictive thing was winning out.

We followed a group to the elevators, and L seemed to recognize him as the group in front of us disappeared into one car.

He turned casually to look at us, then froze as he noticed me. He stepped back, but I leaned into L and ignored him. She seemed to understand, because she didn't try and talk to him, either.

The elevator opened, and I followed him into it. We were the only ones waiting at that bank, and I caught his arm before he could turn and slip out, holding the door-closed button.

"Hey," he snapped, backing away from me warily as he looked to L.

"Hello," I greeted him happily as I hit the button for my floor. "How are you?"

He turned to hit the button for the next floor, but I slapped his hand away. "Floor?"

"The next one," he snapped, trying to get past me again. I shifted to stand in his way, and he grudgingly said a number. I hit the button for him, then turned and moved at him. He backed off from me toward the corner, then flinched when his back hit the wall.

"Josh," L sounded alarmed. "Not in here; come on!"

I knew she had a point. It was just the three of us...but I was not passing up this chance. I raised my hand and traced his jawline. He huffed slightly, looking away from me as his jaw clenched. I ran my fingertip below his ear, feeling that connection as I took just a little bit from him...before he _slammed_ into me. Hard.

I lost my breath as he shifted toward the far side of the elevator, breathing heavily.

I laughed wickedly, moving to follow him.

"What the fuck," he snapped, trying to keep back from me. He finally stopped behind L, and I blinked at her as I reminded myself that I wasn't Hungry, and neither of them were _really_ food.

"He's being an asshole," L explained, keeping between me and my prey. "Josh, you're a dick."

"I can make this real fun real fast," I promised her, grinning wickedly. "You'd even like it."

"Why are you _doing_ it?" she retorted.

I looked down at her, tilting my head slightly. "Because I _can_."

He made an uncertain noise.

L, though, moved forward. Before I could react, she'd cupped my face in her hands, leaning in close to study my eyes.

I lost my control that fast, kissing her deeply. I'd wanted to for so long it wasn't funny. She moved into me, wrapping her arms around my neck and making a noise that I enjoyed incredibly. I pulled away as fast as I could manage, and realized in disbelief that _he_ had his mouth on her throat. I wanted to attack him as she turned into _him_ instead, but the elevator dinged.

We all stopped when the machine's jerking nearly knocked them over, and he looked between us in absolute disbelief. He _ran_ from the little room and disappeared down the hall. I stopped myself from immediately running after him, and I looked back to see L was about to dig out my eyes with her beautiful little fingertips.

Well, shit.

* * *

 ***Ryan**

Why the fuck had I ran from a predator? Stupid move! _Stupid!_

I darted down the hall toward my hotel room, trying to control myself when the new key actually worked. I stumbled into the empty room and moved to drop on the bed, burying my face in the pillows as I tried to figure out what I'd actually done to make that _thing_ focus on me like this. The girl, she'd stepped in to distract him from me, and she obviously knew how he was. She'd pointed out the elevator was too small a space, and when he'd said it was because he _could_ , I'd seen her annoyance.

The rest? Well, I had no idea. I could tell he'd fed on me, and it made feel...scared. It was like someone had come and taken my wallet at gun point, that helpless frustration and anger. Vulnerability.

I sighed tiredly, curling up on the bed. If he started coming at me again, I'd have to start the fight. I probably couldn't win it, but he was a predator, if I could startle him hard enough he'd run. Considering that he hadn't ever really talked to me, this little battle between us should just be between us. With any luck, the council and the rest of the court would stay out of it. I had to hurry up and find those kids...unless he'd taken them. He was a white. I could probably come up with any number of ways for him to win gain from that.

All the information the staff had given me was that the pair of apprentices had been there, sharing a room. They'd stayed a few nights, then checked out. I had the date and time, but they noted I'd have to get the cops involved for any further information.

It was frustrating. Dead ends all around, and now a white court vampire. It was like a three ringed circus; Scooby-doo and the gang in center stage, _Gable_ Bui the dragon on the right, and the white court sadist on the left. Come one, come all! Laugh at the lack of skills, be enthralled by the ice cold bastard, and share a cup of tea with a semi-immortal _lizard_ in a man's body.

I sighed, relaxing slightly and trying to ignore my shaking hands. I'd shoulder-blocked that asshole with all the skill quarterback could manage, that sort of thing usually made a difference. I'd barely gotten him a few steps away, and then what did I do? Hid behind the _girl_.

Well, that sounded terrible. It wasn't that a girl couldn't protect me, it was that stories usually had the hero rescuing the girl from the vampire.

It took a while for me to calm back down. I was scared, honestly. I didn't understand why that had started happening, but I would rather have it be me than Selena or Jeffrey...but what was I supposed to do? Sure, I protected council members from attack, I'd fought in a war that had left our organization crippled...I'd seen things, I'd seen some terrible things.

Those things weren't personal; this. was.

What _the_ hell was I supposed to do?

* * *

 ***L**

I wanted to _hurt_ him. Joshua had no right to turn on that man like that, there was no actual reason for it. He just _did_ this sort of thing, though, and I imagined it was the privileges his family took with everything.

I wanted to kiss him again.

I stormed away from the male as we exited the elevator, turning immediately for his suite.

"L," he protested, giving chase. "Hey..."

"Don't touch me," I snapped at him, not slowing.

"Hey!" he protested in an angrier tone.

I ignored him as we reached the suite and used the key to get in. I stormed across the room to my little guest room, moving to cram my little bag of items into the larger bag we'd picked up from my apartment earlier in the day.

"Please," he protested, stopping in the door. "I know you're mad at me, don't leave."

"I could stay," I snapped back, turning on him. "But then you might _eat_ me."

Hurt flickered through his eyes, then anger. He moved toward me, but I turned instead. I hadn't let my bag go, so I swung it at him.

His reaction was shock, then even more anger. He yanked it away from me and dropped it, then grabbed at my wrist. I wasn't sure what he was actually trying to do, but I couldn't help the fear when I realized I wasn't actually strong enough to pull away.

He pulled me into him, hugging me hard without touching any skin. "You're not supposed to feel that," he hissed.

I huffed, leaning into him and making sure I didn't touch his skin as well.

"I can't have this be my only world," he informed me in a tight voice. "All the lies at home, all the games with my _family_...empty night, Ella. You're the only person who knows me."

"I will not accept you provoking and antagonizing people for a laugh," I informed him, pulling away to glare at him. "He didn't do a damn _thing_ to you."

He looked away, something like anger flashing briefly in his eyes.

"Why the hell are you jealous of him?" I snapped, swallowing as I studied him.

"Because in a party full of model equivalents," he hissed, not looking at my face, "you went to _him_."

"A party full of models influenced by you," I agreed, studying his face. "A party full of yes-men and loose skirts who would do _anything_ you said for the simple reason that you _said_ it."

He frowned, meeting my eyes. "They all seemed nice."

"How would you even know?" I retorted. "Did you _actually_ talk to them?"

I saw the brief flash of embarrassment in his eyes as he started avoiding mine again.

"I barely talked to that guy, you know," I informed him seriously. "He was out here playing pool and having a good time with the others, I saw him go off and screw one of the girls. He looked at the time later, and sort of stopped. I went to tease him about it. I realized you were coming out and walked away because I didn't _want_ you to pick on him...and then what did you do?"

He hung his head.

I hesitated, then rested my hand along his chin so he looked up at me.

"Stop terrorizing him."

He nodded, studying my eyes.

It was weird to touch him without feeling that tingle of pleasure, to be this close to him and emotional...and not feel the stirrings of lust.

I sighed, moving away from him before the proximity triggered him, looking down to my bag. "I want you to know," I noted quietly as I studied it, "that when you're with me, it's not okay to do anything you want."

"I don't do..."

"You embarrassed him because you could," I snapped, meeting his eyes. "There was no actual reason for what just happened."

"If I did anything I wanted," he hissed, leaning in closer to my face, "then..."

I glared up at him, deciding not to move. I usually moved away, because this was his intimidation. He normally did it to remind me that he wasn't wholly safe, and I was realizing more and more that I was some sort of refuge for him...but not this time.

His breathing changed very slightly as he studied my eyes, and I started to feel that pull, that...lust. I wasn't going to lie, both of them kissing me in the elevator had felt _good_. I'd felt like a woman and a queen. This...ridiculous _thing_ we had made me feel special, and I knew for a fact that he considered me special.

I felt a coolness rising on his skin, swallowing slightly as desire warred with reason. I wasn't sure I could undo it, and I knew for a fact that I didn't actually want to.

He broke away, huffing and storming from the room.

I sighed again, moving to sit on the bed.

Chasing that love, that ideal relationship...I wanted that. I didn't get that, though, not with Joshua Rossi...Joshua Raith. Loving him would be fine, but if he actually loved me, I would literally cause him nothing but pain.

He moved back to the door to the room, his eyes dark as he looked me over. "You coming?"

I swallowed again and nodded, tossing my things onto the bed and following him from the room.

* * *

 ***Ryan**

Kevin had gotten us a lead.

I followed him with Selena and Jeffrey, listening intently as he explained what he'd learned. Evidently, he had talked to a waitress who'd been working a few nights before, when the apprentices had checked out. She'd noted that she had seen the pair, and thought they were an adorable couple.

That seemed to correlate with what Bui had said, though it was seeming less like a random comment and more like something to notice. I shook my head as we headed through the casino.

At any rate, the woman said she'd heard them talking as they left, and they'd been arguing about where to go. She thought they'd said Travelodge, but she hadn't heard clearly.

So, time to find the nearest location.

We move out together into the dark night; it had taken me until about two before I could get up and do anything, and we'd eaten lunch. We'd separated around the casino to get what information we could, and I'd had the run-in with the white court bastard around five. I'd met the others for dinner at about six, and that was when Kevin had went to talk with a woman who'd started her night's shift.

It took a while of us searching for a phone book before we finally realized there were piles of fliers around that advertised other hotels. We'd walked past that Travelodge on that first day.

Well, once more into the fray.

* * *

 ***Josh**

Ella had been entirely furious with me, and we'd both been more than let down by the argument's conclusion. I wasn't sure if we'd stopped fighting because we'd come to an agreement, or if it was simply because she'd had a reaction. It didn't matter either way, because we could both move on from it.

"I'm hungry," she sighed finally, pushing away from the corner she'd been snuggled into on the couch.

"Hungry?" I asked, focusing on her and trying not to smirk.

"Starving," she agreed, evidently not noticing.

I blinked slowly at her until she actually looked at me again, then noticed the comprehension in her eyes. She smacked me hard.

I started laughing, shoving myself up and darting toward her face with my tongue out. It made her squeal as she threw me off, and the rest of the tension broke as she started giggling. I continued trying to lick her as I wrestled her arms down, then realized I was touching her skin as she stopped fighting me.

"Heh, sorry," I muttered, letting her go and backing off.

"You are a grade-a dick," she noted, sitting up with a flushed face and pulling the strands of hair from her face.

"Wanna quality test?" I asked.

She _looked_ at me.

I started laughing as she smacked at me, then had a moment of confusion as she lunged in...and licked _my_ jaw.

I squawked at her as she laughed and dived off the couch, darting away. My instinct to chase her was base, but this was the sort of thing that we'd always done and there was no one here who'd judge me. I pelted after her through the hotel room as the game turned a little more serious. She was still having fun, but it _was_ catch. We stalled on opposite sides of the pool table, and watching her eyes sparkle as she made pretend lunges made me...happy.

I shouted as I jumped onto the felt, climbing across the table as she squealed and laughed in disbelief, turning and running off again.

I caught her just inside the main bedroom, snuggling her against my chest as we both laughed...and noticed her throat. That spot below the ear...my arms around her. I wasn't sure if it had been the tension between _us_ , or me losing control, but things with Ella could change _damn_ quick. I could feel her heartbeat, and she turned her head very slightly to look at me as I kissed her neck.

She gasped, relaxing back against me, and I kissed a little higher up. I was holding her to me, but she wasn't fighting it. Her heaving breaths grew a little quicker as she made that noise again, and I leaned forward to kiss her properly as she spun and pressed into my chest. Her hands went around me, and I felt a shudder of pleasure as her nails moved across my skin. It hurt, and I wished she'd push harder, lifting her to move her to the bed.

"Nails," I hissed as I laid her down and started kissing her throat again. "Lots of nails."

I pulled my clothes back on, feeling better than I had in a _long_ time. It was a different sort of satiation than I expected with sex, and Ella hadn't bothered to climb back out of the sheets.

"You are a bastard," she informed me, studying her nails.

"It's not my fault they weren't married," I retorted happily, moving to sit next to her to touch her leg.

She snickered, thinking a moment as she focused on that hand and her leg.

"Hm?" I asked.

"I'm almost let down," she informed me seriously. "But at the same time, it means that what we have can stay."

I realized that she was thinking about love, and removed my hand. I hadn't been feeding on her there, just enjoying the feel of her body...the idea of feeding on her had always been repugnant, and I realized that...maybe this would actually be alright.

...though, I realized with a sort of shock that if she ever were to burn me...she'd just have to...

I blinked, looking down at her as I realized that I could...deal with this.

"Hm?" she asked, stretching languidly as she finally sat up.

"Nothing," I muttered as my heartbeat accelerated. "Um...are you okay?"

"Tired," she sighed, extending a hand to me.

I smiled, reaching out to pull her up, then cursed and yanked my hand back.

"What?" she asked, blinking at me.

I looked at the raw red skin where her hand had touched mine and shook my head, smiling slightly at her. "I have a paper cut."

She _guffawed_ at me, climbing off the bed and meandering into the bathroom.

I swallowed, looking down at my hand again as my heartbeat quickened.

This was...bad.

The water started, and my urge to go to her faded off as I considered my hand again. I moved across the room and ducked my head into the bathroom. "I'm going to run downstairs," I called. "Want anything?"

"Something to drink, asshole," she agreed.

I smiled at that, turning and moving from the room as I considered the burned spot. If I could manage to keep from feeding on her...this would be alright. I needed to, and she was going to _kill_ me for this, but I needed to get someone else to bed her.

My mind went to the wizard, and I snickered at the very idea. I could go invite him up and apologize, influence them both and watch the fun...or she would walk out on me again and probably _actually_ leave.

I could bring up any buck, though, and she'd made me promise to stop torturing the wizard. Bringing him up to apologize to him could be an excuse, but it seemed flimsy. I honestly didn't think she understood that jealousy was irrational. I had picked a load of bucks that fell into her definitions of attractive, and she'd gone to talk to the _one_ freak that I hadn't invited. Sure, she'd barely talked to him, but _still_.

I snickered as I headed into the elevator. I just needed to throw another party, she'd accept that...and I could work the rest out from there.

* * *

 ***L**

I wasn't sure where he'd gotten the lounge clothes.

I considered my butt in the mirror as I turned slowly. The wallet in my pocket looked dumb, but these pants _had_ pockets. The phone in the other pocket would also look ridiculous, but...well, I felt damn good, and wondered if he'd ever realize that I'd decided to give up the fight to bed him. I was still disappointed that he could touch me. He'd been talking long and hard about how love burned and it was a worry, but being able to be with him again...and not even in the bed, I simply meant the time we spent together. I'd missed that. The bed thing, that might be a necessity, but we'd have to discuss it.

I stretched as I turned again, smiling at the stupid pristinely white t-shirt he'd given me. He'd even ordered me a nude bra. I had _no_ idea how much these clothes cost, but then, when had money _ever_ been an issue to him?

I turned and headed through the suite to the main room, wishing that I didn't have to go home Sunday night. I'd like to take a vacation, and since this was Vegas, it'd be a stay-cation, right?

Stupid school.

I snickered slightly as I spotted him near the bar, and moved over to lean against the wall by it...and realized that _that_ was not Joshua.

I froze.

"Why in the world are you in _more_ clothes?" Andon asked, turning to look at me.

"How did you get in?" I demanded, shoving myself away from the wall and crossing my arms over my middle. I didn't like how close we were, and the entire damn suite was empty.

He moved around with a beer in one hand, looking me over with smug interest. "You caught my attention, Miss Ella."

This was one of his damn manipulative cousins.

"I think you should leave until Josh gets back," I noted as calmly as he could manage. "I certainly am not here to entertain you."

His eye flashed wickedly as he looked me over again. "I think I disagree with that."

I decided not to stay. I turned and headed out the door into the hall. I knew he could run fast, and kept myself focused on my anger. I needed to be as casual as I could manage or he would chase me.

"Ella," he chided from behind me. "Come on, now, doe."

I ran for it, turning into the inlet for elevators as a door started to close. I slid into it and hit the button for the lobby, hearing something in the hall.

I didn't, however, have my damn phone.

It only took a few minutes to reach the ground floor, and I moved from the elevators nervously. I had no idea why Andon was in our suite, but I had the feeling it couldn't be good. I had no idea why he thought it'd be a good idea, either.

Josh was, fortunately, leaning against the closest of the bars with his back to me. He had his phone to his ear, and I moved immediately to him, raising a hand to touch him as...I realized it was _not_ him.

He turned to look me over with near disinterest, then blinked at me.

I smiled slightly at him, then turned and walked away. I could feel his eyes on me, and wondered if this was that other cousin he'd said was in town...or hell, maybe it was part of the king's group.

I swallowed as I turned down another hall, then moved across the way. It only took me a few minutes to reach the moving sidewalk, and I darted down it as I tried to remember my friend's stupid cell number. I'd always known I should have it memorized, but hadn't actually taken the time to do it.

The air outside was hot, and I wondered how ridiculous I looked compared to the girls in heels. Worse yet, I was alone, and there were unfriendly looking people on the air bridge.

I ignored them, moving across into another casino. There was a bar near that entrance, and it had loud music playing. The crowd outside of it was cheering, but I ignored them and moved into a shopping area. I took the escalator stairs two at a time as I looked around for someone I knew. None of my friends came down here, though, not unless we had guests.

Shit.

Well, with Josh, the best thing would be to find somewhere I could wait. He knew how I thought.

I moved across the casino floor, no longer amused by the laughing and chattering crowd. It took several minutes for me to get onto the sidewalk outside again, and I waded through everyone as quickly as I could.

I wanted to be somewhere he'd think to check for me. It'd probably be best to hit up one of the places we'd been before, and I didn't want to be anywhere too close to any of the roads. I supposed the strip itself would be fine, but there was a definitive chance that I didn't actually have to run. Granted, with his family and the games they played, there was also the chance I could be a hostage.

I'd been fed on enough for one day, though.

My happy relaxed bubble had popped, and I grew annoyed with the people I had to wind through. It seemed to take twice as long to get anywhere with the groups blocking the sidewalk and being oblivious.

So...that shopping center we'd been in. I could go over to that bagel area because it was a large lounge that didn't close.

I hoped he realized where I'd eaten at to come find me.

I sighed as I moved toward the next air bridge, looking around to see if I was being followed obviously or not. No one was actually paying me any attention, which was good. I worked my way past a driveway, it was empty and creepy, then up to the next building. There was a bit of a distance between the air bridges here, and I realized as the crowd started crossing the boulevard ahead of me that I didn't have to go all the way to the next bridge.

Once inside that mall, I found one of the random convenience stores. I took a moment to get myself a water and snack, then blinked as I noticed a display of thin sweaters; with the air conditioners, inside any of the buildings was cold. It'd cost an arm and a leg, but Josh _had_ given me a couple hundred dollars for that bagel, hadn't he?

I picked one that fit and moved to pay, smiling at the woman as I considered a small selection of pay-as-you-go phones. If he didn't find me in the hour, I might buy one. Actually, I might have one of his stupid business cards in my wallet. They were the fun kind that had nothing printed on them but a cell phone number. I believe he'd called it an emergency hotline at one point. I tossed the thing on the counter, smiling at the woman.

"What in the world?" she asked happily.

"Mine vanished," I sighed. "I think I left it somewhere; I need to call my friends to come rescue me."

She laughed at that, wishing me a good luck.

I put on the sweater, then took my bag of things and turned to find the lounge. The area was dark, and I realized there were actual padded chairs near the windows. I wandered over to one and plopped down, digging out the water and phone. I wasn't sure how I'd open the phone package, but the first thing was hydration.

Maybe I could nap again. Damn, I was tired.

I yawned as I drank, sitting back to fuss with the packaging. I was finally able to relax, pulling and cranking at the plastic.

"Can I...help you?"

I looked up at the voice, then blinked at the damn wizard.

He blinked back at me.

"Here," he sighed, passing me...a fricking _knife_.

I stared at the blade a moment, then took it from him.

"I'd offer to do it," he noted, pulling a chair over from a nearby table to sit in, "but then your little toy would stop working. Are you alright?"

"Not really," I returned, swallowing slightly. "Are you following me?"

"No, my friends and I..." he gestured toward the hall. "Well, we're here. I wanted to apologize for earlier. I don't usually...I..." he frowned at me, looking away.

"You don't make a practice of joining in spur of the moment elevator three-somes?" I asked happily. "What a prude."

He snorted at that, looking me over without meeting my eyes. "You alright? You look a little out of it."

"I just had a marathon sexcapade with my damn incubus; I should steal your knife and gut him with it."

He blinked at me.

"He said you're a wizard," I added as the plastic finally gave. I closed the knife again, looking back to him. "So you know about vampires, right?"

"Yeah," he sighed, avoiding my eyes.

"You can meet my eyes," I informed him dryly. "I don't bite."

"I really can't," he retorted, his eyes flicking briefly to mine. "I don't think you wanna know me that well."

"What?" I asked, blinking at him.

He waved it away taking the knife. "You need anything?"

"Company," I suggested. "We had an unwelcome guest in our suite, and I'm not sure if I'm the intended target or an innocent bystander."

"Wooha?" he asked, blinking at me and looking away immediately.

I snorted at him, amused. "You...know the courts?"

"More than you'd think, less than you, I imagine."

"I don't know much more than whites are a bunch of politicians," I shrugged, powering the phone on and keeping it on the far side of my chair from him. "But he has these two cousins who've been hanging around lately. I'm pretty sure they both showed up at the hotel today, and since I was alone in the suite, I'm sort of worried about intentions."

"Don't want to be a second course?" he asked curiously.

I made a face at him as I skipped through the set-up options.

"What are you...doing?" he asked.

"I scampered like an intelligent bunny," I supplied. "Instead of running, I stormed away. I got to the main floor and thought I saw him again and it was someone _else_. I don't know where Josh is, so I'm going to call him. My phone is on the bed in the suite, though."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Terrified if I'm honest," I admitted.

He nodded, looking around.

"I'll walk with you," I decided, realizing he was looking for someone. I gathered my things and tucked them into the bag, then made sure to yank the tag off my sweater.

He smiled slightly at me, then stood slowly and started to walk. "I'm actually only in the city to look for a couple kids," he noted with his hands in his pockets. "I screwed up last night bad, and recovering after the elevator ate another hour. My friends are pissed at me—well, not Kevin. Here," he added, gesturing down a side hall.

I made a noise, digging out the special little card from Josh before heading down a lonely looking hallway with a stranger. I was typing the number in as I went, and...an incredibly pale hand circled my wrist from the wrong side. I squawked as I saw that second-guy smirking at me, then watched as he yelped and yanked his hand way.

"Oh, he loves you?" he asked, his eyes lighting up with a sort of vicious hatred. "I _love_ this."

"What?" I demanded as he shook his hand out, confused as hell.

"Don't just _stand_ there," the wizard snapped, moving up behind me and pulling me to him and away from the influence of the damn white.

I saw the vampire look at the wizard's arm around me, between my breasts, and a flicker of disappointment flashed in his eyes. The wizard was pulling me, though, and I managed to remember that I did have free will. I turned, yanking back at the wizard's arm as he tried to start running.

"Predator's chase," he agreed with me, as if he hadn't been trying to run. He wrapped his hand in mine as we walked quickly.

"I am chasing," the male called from behind us. "I'm just enjoying my hunt. I can smell your fear, freak."

The wizard turned with his hands busy...and threw a small _thing_ behind us.

"What was that?" I asked blankly.

"Perfume sample," he supplied happily, pulling out a handful of tiny vials from his pocket and passing me a few as he dropped a tiny black cap. "They stink to us, right? Imagine the intensity to a creature with three or four times our senses?"

"Depends on how many parts," I pointed out. "Might not be so bad for them."

I heard a choked cry from behind me, then tucked the handful into my other pocket. "Right."

"Run," he agreed, grabbing my hand again. We turned and darted up the hallway, passing myriad closed shops until we reached an intersection, at which juncture he happily uncapped more perfume and flicked it at a pillar.

I started laughing, turning with him to run.


	4. Chapter 4

***Ryan**

I wanted to keep throwing the little bottles of perfume, but that would make our path obvious. The urge didn't pass until we finally reached the main area again, the part with people. I was worried about her new phone, but there wasn't a lot to do...unless I sent her on, but he'd probably track her anyway. I wasn't actually the prey in this game.

She leaned into my arm as we went, and I ducked out of the building into the hot night.

"What's your name?" she asked quietly.

"Ryan," I supplied. "You?"

"Ella, but call me L."

I nodded as we turned to go. We'd made it to an intersection, and I led her toward another convenience store as the crowd around us thickened. Getting through that store into another little strip mall was a relief, and I kept her hand tightly in mine. We'd started to walk at a normal pace, but I had no idea if that vampire had avoided the perfume bombs or what.

It was good to know they'd work. If _her_ incubus came at me again, I could just douse myself and be done with it. Probably my hair—it would stink, but hair didn't come off so easy as a shirt.

I headed through the strip mall to another exit, ducking back into the night as I realized she had the phone to her ear.

"Damn," I muttered, realizing I was too jumped up on adrenaline to calm myself down. She wasn't getting her call to connect.

"Here, sit here," I urged as we reached a wall. "I'll go up the way and watch."

She nodded, looking as uncertain as I felt, I stopped when I judged the distance to be safe, looking around the various levels of sidewalk. It took a while, and I noticed her start talking. She nearly burst into tears, nodding even though she was on the phone. Someone slowed near her, looking concerned, and I waved a hand at them so they knew she wasn't alone. They walked on, frowning at me.

I was watching for vampires.

I snorted to myself. This was entirely ridiculous. Selena and Jeffrey were wandering around the area near the Travelodge. It was on the far end of the strip in the area that seemed unsafe and full of drive-through chapels. Kevin had decided to go look at the old Vegas casinos, an area called Freemont Street, and I was going through the mall areas. It was probably the least effective thing we could do, but we'd left the stupid apprentices a note saying that Aunt Mai was upset and wanted them to contact us at our hotel.

We'd probably be out doing stupid search patterns and miss the call entirely, but we also weren't sure the dragon, the white court, or any other council enemies hadn't decided to _fuck_ with us.

Oh, and then what do I do again? I go off mission _again_.

I sighed.

L moved up to me, grabbing my hand as she tucked the phone into the weird pocket on her sweater, smiling slightly at me. "He said for me to stay with you."

"What?" I asked, staring at her.

"Josh," she explained. "He said he'd deal with Andon, so we need to keep away from Ethan. He said he'd call me when they figure it out, so I just needed to stay with you."

That was...oddly complimentary.

I frowned at her.

She leaned in to hug me hard. "Thank you. I think I just had the craziest day of my life, and you got me through it."

"It's not over yet," I reminded her, deciding to get off the high point of the terrain. "Come on, let's cross," I pointed up the way to the Bellagio as water shot high into the air.

"Now, the fountains are something I enjoy watching," she muttered, pulling back and looking around. We turned to start walking, and I wondered if she were holding my hand for an actual reason. "Want to stop and watch one? We can pretend we're searching the crowd for your friends while hiding out from the big bad marble statue."

I flashed her a grin.

* * *

 ***Josh**

I called Natalie.

Andon and Ethan were more related to her than to me or Addy, so I reported to her with the petulance of a child that Andon had tried to poach my doe...which doe? Ella.

Ella had been my friend since we were children. She and I had biked around the manor, played in the pool constantly, and I'd gone with her family on innumerable vacations. My mothers both knew who Ella was, and they knew she was my friend. They'd decided that keeping her friendship was my own personal challenge, and they respected me for keeping her as a strict friend.

They were going to be disappointed that I'd slipped.

I snorted slightly to myself as I walked through the hotel.

They'd be disappointed that I slipped until they realized that touching her would burn us all. Things would be worse than _disappointed_ then.

Ah well, nothing to be done about it. The one reassurance I had, knowing that my cousins were hunting down my friend, was that they couldn't touch her either.

Actually, if I played my cards right, that blasted wizard could take care of the burning problem for me...maybe even a few times, if she liked him. I could tell by her emotional explanation that he'd been thinking for her when Ethan had gone for them. The idea of having an entire sample perfume bottle dumped for my entertainment made my nose almost burn _without_ the actual scent. That wizard was a wily asshole, and knowing that his trap for me had turned on my cousin made me smile.

I should probably thank Ethan for _springing_ that trap.

I moved into my hotel room, looking it over as Andon continued playing pool at the table.

"You've been gone a long time," he informed me.

"I had a few things to take care of," I supplied, moving to grab a que and stopping to chalk the tip.

"Your little doe ran off on me," he noted.

"Yes, she's furious," I agreed.

He stopped and looked up at me.

"My mother was upset that you were poaching, too," I added.

He hesitated, then took a shot.

"She thinks it's hilarious that Ethan is chasing her down, though," I added. "I mean, she actually ran from him. Can you imagine? A doe running from us?" I laughed.

He blinked at me, studying my face before smirking. "She didn't run from me."

I laughed more gesturing the suite over. "Then where is she?"

He narrowed his eyes at me.

I smiled at him, moving to take my own shot. "Get me a drink? I'll finish this round."

"You are not that good at this game," he protested, heading for the bar.

"No?" I asked, sinking the first ball. "You can say it all you want, but I've already won this round."

He hesitated as he poured vodka into the glass, then snorted slightly at me.

* * *

 ***L**

I yawned as I allowed Ryan to pull me through the crowd. I'd gotten a text from Joshua that Andon had gone and he was going to find Ethan a while back, and we were heading back toward our hotel.

"Keep moving," he urged, glancing back at me as we climbed some actual stairs.

I made a noise at him, moving more under his arm. My energy had been low all day, and I kept forgetting that Josh and I had rolled around in the sheets for a lark. It seemed like an age before, and what was worse, Ryan and I hadn't seen hide nor hair of the damn cousin.

"Come on," he persisted, tugging at me.

I sighed and trudged after him. I wanted to stop and sit down, but I wouldn't get back up again for a while. I felt gross. It was still warm out here, and the crowds had thinned a bit.

We moved around another building, and he slowed slightly.

I blinked up at Ryan, then followed his gaze...to see Josh? I stared at the man a long moment, realizing that it really wasn't my friend. It was that other cousin. He was standing in the middle of the empty sidewalk staring at me intently.

Ryan moved forward a few more steps, studying the guy as I moved more behind him.

"Stay back," I reminded the wizard. "Or do you want a retry at the elevator thing?"

Josh appeared behind Ethan, and I blinked as he moved directly up to his cousin...and grabbed him by the back of the neck. I watched as Ethan's eyes flashed angrily white, and before more than a moment could pass, the pair had turned to fight. They were both laughing hard, but they also both had silvery eyes.

"Oh shit," Ryan said, extending an arm and backing us away. "L, the wind is blowing at us."

"Oh...shit," I agreed, allowing him to stay between me and them. The cousins seemed to be having fun in their brawl, until finally Josh did _something_ and Ryan stepped forward. It took a half a second before I felt the urge to obey, too, and I started around Ryan as Ethan tried to swallow around the thumb pressing against his throat.

Ryan yanked me back hard, and I stumbled into his arms. We backed away from the fight as Ethan swore, then somehow tore himself away and turned to disappear into the night.

Joshua's chest was heaving as he looked around and focused on me.

"Oh...shit," I repeated, feeling the urge to go to him. Immediately.

My friend turned and strolled toward us with his eyes on me, and while I could see he was happy to see me, his skin was still too pale and his eyes were still silver.

Ryan swallowed hard, yanking me away backwards. "Vampire," he said warningly.

Joshua gestured at him without looking away from me, and Ryan's hand let me go immediately. Ryan stepped back, and I wondered if he'd somehow lost his mind...before starting across the intervening space to my friend.

Joshua reached out to touch my throat as I neared him, and my delight that he'd touch me at all sparked hard when he swore and pulled away.

"What?" I asked blankly, watching him focusing on his hand.

Joshua looked up to me, his expression changing, then turned and stormed toward Ryan.

Damn!

I darted forward to intercede, but Ryan had already started backing away. He hit a tree hard, and I saw the fear in his eyes. He looked around to me briefly before Joshua caught him by...the hair. He yanked Ryan's hair back so his throat was exposed, and I watched as Ryan panicked and tried to separate himself. Joshua was staring directly at him before...they both frozen.

Two heartbeats passed before anything happened again, and that was Joshua nearly throwing Ryan by the hair as he backed up, and he turned to look at me with _huge_ eyes.

"What happened?" I asked blankly, moving over to see Ryan had that same terrified look.

"So many locked doors," Ryan breathed back at me, looking around wildly before meeting eyes with Joshua again.

Joshua stared back at him, keeping a distance between them.

"Guys?" I asked blankly.

"You soul-gazed me?" Joshua demanded, the fear starting to turn to anger.

"Were you or were you not feeding on me?" Ryan growled back, his posture changing very slightly. He shifted his weight slightly, the line of his body turning.

Joshua backed away more.

"You feed by sex, though," I protested blankly, realizing that the coldness had faded from the air. I knew the feeding wasn't as simple as sex, but it was always with that close intimacy.

Joshua flashed me his evilest grin, extending a hand to me. "Come away."

I stood my ground, resting my hands on my hips.

"There's a lot of intimacy in fear," Ryan informed me. "In that sort of person-to-person fear."

"Ella, come away," Joshua persisted, not moving toward us.

...he was afraid. Joshua was afraid of Ryan.

"What the _hell_ just happened?" I snapped, glaring to Ryan.

Ryan's eyes were dark and almost amused as they met mine, and something _happened_.

I stared around a dark room, realizing that there were disconnected noises of fear in the distance. I could smell orange juice, too. Ryan was standing at a window, looking out at sand that almost seemed to be glass. It seared my eyes to look out that window, and I realized that he was holding a sword, and that sword was dripping blood. There was a rivulet that simply appeared near the hilt, and ran almost randomly across the rest of the long length of it to the tip.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The puddle of blood pooled around his feet. There was a little girl crying nearby, and he finally looked away from the window. His arms were hard with muscle, and I got the impression of shoulder-pads, the kind that football players wore.

He was looking directly back at me.

I breathed in that scent of orange juice, looking the room over. There was a small cot near the wall, but the edges were blurred. There was no blanket, but a single grey cloak draped across it as the little girl cried harder.

"I control," Ryan stated with burning hate filled eyes. "I destroy," he shifted to face me as the blood splashed around his feet. He continued staring directly back at me as he lifted the sword without pointing it at me. "I will protect you, or I will _**ruin**_ you. _You_ decide."

There was a fierce determination in the words that made my stomach tremble, and I could feel an unbound _strength_ from him as the blood _kept_ dripping from the sword.

The little girl stopped crying.

I gasped as I fell to my knees on the sidewalk on the strip, clutching at Ryan as he caught me and pulled me to him. When that child had stopped crying, I'd gotten an impression of death. Not his, not that girl's, but...something else, something at the tip of his sword.

"Ella!" Joshua sounded scared as he darted toward me, but stopped a few feet back.

"What are you doing?" Ryan snapped up at him.

Joshua gritted his teeth and darted in, grabbing me and pulling me a foot away from Ryan as he held me tightly.

"What did you see?" Ryan asked blankly.

"Too hard to describe," Joshua retorted without meeting eyes. "Are you going to kill me?"

"What?" Ryan asked blankly, resting back on his haunches to stare at Joshua. "You're insane."

Joshua looked seriously back to him. "I don't know what _you_ saw, since you don't seem to look at me differently, but I saw _you_."

"What does that even mean?" Ryan asked blankly. "And you've been scaring the _piss_ out of me every time we've met since that chick brought me to your party...but if I moved too fast you'd run, wouldn't you? With or without the girl."

"The girl is mine," Joshua snapped back. There was something different in his eyes as he said it, holding me closer to him.

The line of Ryan's shoulders shifted very slightly, and he relaxed as he looked back to me. "Are you alright?"

"What was that?" I muttered, pushing away from Joshua tiredly.

Ryan pointed at me, then indicated Joshua. "That makes him uncertain."

Joshua tensed.

I blinked, looking back to my friend and stopped trying to make him let me go. I frowned, thinking of the dripping blood and the way it had puddled on the floor. I met Ryan's eyes. "Have you...killed?"

"Yes," he said simply. "I did what I had to do to save their lives...all of their lives."

I thought about that a long moment, realizing that he must have been part of that war. The one with the vampires that had evidently ended.

Joshua looked down. "I'm sorry."

Ryan sighed and shook his head. "You are strong," he said seriously. "You are smart, and in the end, you'll hold your own. Don't let them tear you down."

Joshua looked back to his face, his eyes turning slightly angry.

Ryan held his gaze a long moment, then looked back to me curiously.

"Fine," I sighed, pushing away from Joshua calmly as I stood. "I'm exhausted and don't understand what that was, but I'm fine."

"It's called a soul-gaze," Ryan supplied. He smirked slightly as he stood and held my eyes. "I told you didn't want to know me that well."

"You did, huh?" I shot back, though I smiled and moved to hug him. "Who...was she?" I asked, thinking to the crying little girl.

Ryan swallowed slightly, looking away. "Just a kid. I never got her name."

"Why did she cry?"

"She lost everyone," he said quietly. "There were only a few survivors left, but I saved her."

"L," Joshua said quietly. "That was something that changed him. Don't push."

I pulled back to look at Ryan again thoughtfully.

I didn't understand his words, the comment about controlling and destroying, but I believed that he would continue to protect me no matter what. I had a feeling Joshua had focused on the ruining part, though.

"Don't you like, have a staff?" Joshua asked almost inconsequentially as I moved back to lean into his side.

"Yes," Ryan agreed. "You get looked at funny if you're not at a Harry Potter convention, though."

Joshua laughed at that, looking around. "Well, come on, let's get out of here before security decides to come check on us. I didn't think about how what I was doing would look."

"Do I taste good?" Ryan retorted, starting after him.

Joshua shuddered slightly. "It was satisfactory on a few levels; and it wasn't even sex. Feel privileged, wizard."

"Talk the big talk, ego on stilts," Ryan retorted, "I saw the way you were looking at me. If I move wrong you're going to show us a new impression of a skittish cat."

"I am going to feed on you again," Joshua stated. "And this time you're going to be embarrassed."

"I dunno, I saw those people at your party. You think I look that good?"

Joshua _guffawed_.

Ryan laughed wickedly. "I mean, my ego is looking at this scenario with interest, but we separate at the lobby, and don't pretend I'm not going to go find my sword."

Joshua shuddered slightly again, not commenting for a long minute.

"I'm not supposed to win that fast," Ryan noted, looking curiously to me. "It's going to be awkward to walk back to the lobby together like this."

Joshua _spun_ on him, his shoulders tensed as he leaned forward. "I may be a lot of things, wizard," he noted, "but I am not stupid. I _saw_ what you can do with that damn sword, I heard the cries of your enemies. I don't want to _be_ your damn enemy."

"But I can be your dinner?" Ryan asked, his eyes hardening slightly. "I can be your victim?"

"I would _love_ that," Joshua hissed through gritted teeth. "Putty in my _fucking_ hands."

I wasn't sure if I was sensing brewing violence or what, but Ryan was staring _directly_ at Joshua as he raised a hand.

Joshua swore, backing off and looking around.

"What are you doing?" I asked blankly, studying Ryan's hand.

"I was going to give your incubus a quick lesson in putty in his hands," Ryan said with a cold edge to his voice.

I stared at him, then smirked and looked around to Joshua. "You flipped the bitch switch."

They both _looked_ at me.

"It's on, mother fucker?" I asked Ryan curiously. "I'll show you putty?" I looked back to see Joshua's expression was calculating.

"Fuck this shit," I noted happily, throwing my hands into the air and starting away. "I'm out."

Ryan started laughing, and that odd sensation of energy faded off.

"Don't leave me with him," Joshua complained, catching up quickly. "I'm going to get myself in trouble, and you're supposed to be there to protect me."

Ryan laughed more, moving to catch up with us again.

"Don't forget to check for messages," I muttered to Ryan as we headed for an escalator. "You should come up to the suite, I'm going to make the rich boy order pizza."

"I can't," Ryan sighed.

"Fine, we can get sandwiches, ya weenie-whiner," I noted happily.

He laughed at that and shook his head. "No, I'm serious. I've been half off mission all damn day, and they already know I went to a party last night. They won't mind me protecting you from that vampire, but if they realize I'm not getting you away from _him_ ," he indicated Joshua, "all hell will break loose."

"And why aren't you taking her away from me?" Joshua demanded.

Ryan moved, grabbing my arm before we realized what he was doing. He shifted my hand before I could stop him, and rested it on Joshua's chest—Joshua was wearing a wife-beater under his button up, and that left a decent amount of skin bare. Ryan proceeded to lean forward as he stared at the vampire, directly in the eyes.

Joshua's reaction to that challenge was incredibly typical...the end result of Ryan's manipulations were not. I didn't think to move my hand, I hadn't honestly thought about what the others had said or done earlier in the day.

Joshua almost _screamed_ as he tore away from me, his hand to his collar bone. He was breathing hard as he looked back to me...and I saw that fear again.

I _stared_ at him.

Ryan smirked, moving to lean against my back and nuzzle at my neck.

Joshua...lost it. He lunged at us as Ryan started laughing and shifted around me. When Joshua fell to the ground, I realized that things were about to get really _really_ bad. I wasn't sure if it was because he was incensed, or because of Ryan's skill, but Joshua couldn't seem to get _ahold_ of him.

Ryan was laughing as he backed off a minute later, watching as Joshua tried to compose himself. "I think you need to reevaluate your situation," he suggested. "Because I'm gone in days, and what's she going to think about you then?"

"Hey guys?"

We all turned to see a tired looking security guard approaching us. "You really need to move on, or we're going to call the police on you."

Ryan moved closer to me, blinking at the man.

"Sorry, sir," Joshua muttered, pushing himself away from the wall he'd fallen against to join us. "We're being stupid. We'll go."

"I suggest you talk it out," he noted, watching us. "Fighting won't prove anything."

Ryan nodded and waved at him, turning to lead the way to the escalators again. It seemed to be taking us an inordinate amount of time to reach the damn things.

I blinked as Ryan started climbing the stairs, then moved to get on the up side.

"Finally," Joshua sighed, turning to look at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning more at him.

It was only then that I realized he thought Ryan was leaving. I smirked at him, looking up the stairs to see Ryan yawning as he checked a little pocket watch.

"The hell?" Joshua asked blankly.

"My friend is waiting for me," I retorted. "I don't know why you think he'd run off on us."

Joshua sighed.

"If the guys aren't back I'll come up for food," Ryan noted as we started walking again. "I mean, we engineered the most pointless search apparatus today. I don't know why I was alone to do the entire strip, but there's no way we could have found them like this."

"What are you talking about?" Joshua asked blankly.

"The kids," I explained happily. "A couple apprentices came a week or so ago to, get this, visit the dragon."

Joshua _blinked_ at me.

I smirked back.

"And you're sure they weren't lunch?" Joshua asked, looking to Ryan seriously.

"Not even slightly," Ryan shrugged. "But he seemed candid enough when he told me he didn't eat them," he pointed at the hotel. "They checked out a day or so before we arrived and went down to the Travelodge," he pointed toward the strip. "We left a message for them to get ahold of us—I'm hoping that they got off-mission, too, because then it won't just be me."

"I could make your crew putty in my hands," he offered.

"Maybe Jeffrey," Ryan retorted.

"I don't want _guys_ ," Joshua complained. "I saw your girl. I meant her."

"Then why have you been stalking me all day?" Ryan retorted, looking to him skeptically.

Joshua flashed his teeth, his expression wicked.

Ryan rolled his eyes.

"He was jealous earlier," I noted happily. "Said that in a party full of models I went to you."

"Did you?" Ryan retorted. "Was it any good?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet," I returned easily. "I suppose we could try it and find out."

Joshua didn't say anything.

Ryan laughed as we headed down the hall that led to the moving sidewalk, and I noted Joshua's expression was a calculated mask of innocence as he looked around.

"I could try it and find out," I noted to Joshua specifically.

He looked at me, then gave me an annoyed look.

"You are a terror to the ego," Ryan informed me, blinking as I stepped onto the moving sidewalk with the vampire. Ryan was walking on the sidewalk as he looked between us. "You won't let him play the 'cool' card," he made air-quotes. "We both know he won't actually let me that close to you if he can help it, and even if you're saying he doesn't have that choice, it turns to something between me and him. Stop trying to torture him."

Joshua looked briefly appreciative, but didn't say anything to me at all.

That was all true enough, but it wasn't what was actually going on in the vampire's head.

"Anyway," Ryan noted, winking to Josh. "I'm gonna go check for messages and check on my group. Am I actually invited to food?" he looked to the vampire properly.

"Yeah," Joshua reassured him. "You helped her with Ethan. If your friends aren't going to flip out at me, you can bring them up, too."

"No, they will," he waved it away. "Kevin has been torn between panicking that you _came_ at me, and panicking that we _survived_ you."

Josh didn't reply, staring directly back at the male.

They continued to stare at each other a long moment, then Ryan winked at me and walked away.

Joshua let out a breath.

"I could _try_ it, and find _out_ ," I stated pointedly.

Joshua laughed, his eyes lighting up. "That actually got fun," he noted. "I mean, I don't want to actually piss him off, but..."

I didn't react, watching his face.

Joshua looked at me a long moment and sighed. "I want to feed again," he muttered, looking away from me. "If you want him to come, that's fine."

I narrowed my eyes at him, realizing that my first impression had to be wrong. My first thought had been that he wanted to feed on _me_ again. I was too tired to oblige, but adding Ryan to the equation was _way_ out of my comfort zone. It was bad enough that I thought he wanted to invite the wizard to a threesome, so I'd definitely have to ask Ryan to come. It'd be hilarious...but what he meant was to throw another party where he disappears for four or more hours. That was actually something I'd be cool with Ryan going to, if only because he made me feel safe.

"You said you don't feed that much every day," I pointed out.

"I also don't fight both of my cousins in one day," he stated without looking at me. We stepped off the sidewalk thing. "Andon and I sparred verbally for _ever_ earlier. It took me a while to work him around to attacking me. I thought it'd be that same sort of fight I just had with Ethan, but he actually tried to pit his Hunger against my Hunger."

I turned my head to _look_ at him.

He rolled his eyes without looking at me. "It's stupid, because he doesn't do anything delicate. He walks into a room and calls everyone to him. Bucks tend to back off and avoid that. He might have some power, but," he shook his head. "I broke his pride and sent him home. He's going to be furious at me, but with any luck he'll _leave_ finally."

"I hate your family," I informed him.

"Right now, so do I," he agreed bitterly, looking around. "Stop giving me that look. It doesn't mean we had sex, it means we were trying to influence each other."

I relaxed slightly. I was never sure of what he meant by half the things he said.

"Anyway," he sighed. "It took a lot for me to overwhelm him, and then I came out and fought Ethan. Hell, Ethan was trying to do the same Hunger thing as we fought, and he's actually _good_ at the subtle shit. I'm pretty sure that the only reason I won was because I was terrified and wanted to protect you."

I nodded, leaning into his side.

Joshua didn't add more, turning and leading me up the stairs.

* * *

 ***Ryan**

I was the last to the room, and I felt like my entire world had been rocked. I avoided soul-gazes, just like every other wizard I knew. Having two in about as many minutes...it'd been hard to focus on much at any given point, which was why antagonizing a vampire had seemed spiffy.

I rubbed at my face as I stood at the end of the little hall, then looked up to the three with me.

"What happened?" Kevin asked tiredly.

"I didn't find shit," I retorted, realizing that...I didn't have to tell them anything.

"No message yet," Selena sighed as she tapped her pen against her notebook. "They've been here six days now, right? They came the afternoon of the seventeenth and checked in here, right?"

"Sure, I agreed, kicking my shoes off and dropping on the bed. "Except it's only been like _four_ days."

They all turned to look at me.

"What do you mean?" Jeffrey muttered.

I laid back, taking a long slow breath. "Today is the twenty-third," I explained. "But it doesn't really count. It's after midnight, sure, but it's before dawn and we haven't slept yet, so it still sorta feels like Friday."

"Fine, five days," Selena blinked at me.

"Their train got in around seven on a Sunday night," I noted, looking up to them. "If we hadn't been looking for them, we'd have come to our room and camped out because of the heat, so we can assume they did the same. At the most they'd have wandered around the casino like we did," I indicated Kevin. "So that day doesn't really count either. Considering that I want to ditch you all and go get pizza with the chick I met today, like immediately, I imagine that they realized their train didn't leave until Wednesday afternoon and went to see what there is to see."

"You wanna ditch us?" Selena pouted at me.

I grinned at her, shifting myself up and stretching.

"The council did call," Kevin muttered, tilting his head at me. "They got people to look over the footage immediately. We don't know what the hell they got up to after they left Bui's place, but they did a proper ceremony and trade with him, all the greeting crap. They even watched him transform and watched him leave."

"He's...not...a _Dragon_ , right?" I muttered, turning my head to look at him.

"Why would a _Dragon_ be in the United States?" Selena asked blankly. "I don't honestly think we're _that_ important to the older creatures. I met a vampire once who still called us _colonists_."

I snickered at that.

"So we have confirmation that they went and did what they were supposed to, and they knew they had the next day off. They were supposed to report in their progress, just like you were supposed to report, and they didn't...just like you."

I groaned at him.

"So a few people are pissed at you," he tilted his head at me. "You may as well go find the girl with the pizza, because everyone's gonna rip you a new one, anyway. In for a dime, in for a dollar, huh?"

I focused on him, thinking that over.

"Wait," Selena snapped, glaring at Kevin. "Let's finish the rundown of information."

"What else is there?" I asked blankly. "They went and did their stint at the dragon's, they ran around without checking in, they checked out on time but missed their train, and checked into a cheaper hotel without trying to contact anyone."

"Why is that okay with you?" Selena asked. "What the hell is with you?"

"I've been all over this strip," I supplied, narrowing my eyes sat her. "I've been up and down it into every casino, and we know they aren't going to be found that way unless we do something closer to a grid, which means that _all_ of us should be here, not just us four."

They exchanged looks.

"What?" I asked, sighing.

"You okay?" Kevin asked, looking me over. "Like, not even kidding."

"Not really," I retorted, rising and moving to grab a bottle of water from a bag on top of the dresser. "I'm just grumpy. Sorry."

They exchanged looks again.

Well, this wasn't going anywhere.

I turned and dug out my staff, flicking my eyebrows at the group of them as I tucked the thing into my belt loop. "I'll be back. My key might not work," I looked between them. "I might just crash with her if it doesn't."

"Where are you going?" Kevin asked as I opened the door, rolling his eyes.

I stopped, remembering that Kevin hadn't actually seen the invite card and looking back to them all. "Seven twenty-six," I supplied. "I'll be back, maybe if I can get laid I'll be less pissy."

"Drink more water," Selena informed me. "Get food, because you walking around with your staff suggests we might have some _damage_ control later."

I flashed her a grin, then ducked into the hall.

* * *

 ***Josh**

I looked around at the knock on the door, frowning as I tried to figure out what would have _made_ that sound. It hadn't been knuckles, it was something harder than that.

L moved away from the freshly delivered pizza box easily, chewing happily as she moved to pull the door open. She started laughing as she stepped back, and I tilted my head as Ryan entered the room.

His name _was_ Ryan, right? I was pretty sure that's what she'd called him.

He smirked at me, and swung something around in his hand. My heart nearly froze for a moment, because it almost looked like a sword.

...no, that was a staff.

Fuck.

I stepped back, watching his expression.

What I'd seen of _him_ had been intimidating as hell. I wasn't sure if L had noticed any details of the soul gaze, or even if she'd have seen the same thing as me, but what I'd seen had been a tall muscled man with a sword he obviously knew how to use. The musculature of his body had been telling, too; he had a mix of martial arts, swords, and a sort of melee abandon. The death-screams of his opponents had been disturbing enough, but not nearly so disturbing as the fact that he was content to hear it. He might even be _proud_...and I'd had one instance of him easily putting me down.

I was not experienced enough to deal with a combat-trained wizard.

"What's wrong?" L asked blankly, slowing to look at me.

"This," Ryan swung the staff around his hand like a baton, "is called a staff," he explained, catching it deftly and focusing on it.

The damn thing started to glow.

L made an excited noise, reaching forward to touch the glow, but Ryan didn't let her make contact as he looked back to me.

"I told you I was sorry," I said very seriously to him, making sure my hands were obvious and still.

"Calm down," he retorted, flipping it again and tossing it to L. He moved around to dig into the pizza with a yawn. "I thought she'd like to see it and some of what I can do," he added, meeting my eyes. "I also figured I should have a trump card if one of your cousins shows up again."

L started giggling wickedly and we both turned to look at her.

The staff was maybe as long as a forearm with a tapered end. The other end had an odd sort of ridge, and she was holding it up for us to see. It didn't look particularly phallic, but there were hints of it there.

Ryan _sighed_.

L started laughing like it was the best joke ever, moving to put her pizza down and wipe her hands off as she looked closer at the runes that had been burned into it.

"What I did is actually terrible form," Ryan added as he started to eat, moving to stand next to her. "I suppose you can say that this is an obvious armament—like someone walking around with a machete hanging off their jeans, right?"

She looked up to him, then looked around to me.

"Hence him re-apologizing," he winked at me.

"It looks like a wand sort of," she noted happily, waving it around at random. "Can I do magic?"

"With practice and luck," he shrugged. "Luck being in the genes that make practitioners."

"Aww, but I want to make something float," she protested, pointing the thing at a pillow happily.

"This is not Harry Potter," Ryan retorted, taking the thing from her. "I can't say some faux Latin phrase and make something float into the air."

"Can't you?" I asked blankly, trying to relax. If I was all keyed up, he'd key in on that. Sure, I could probably hit him with my influence, but I was no longer entirely convinced he couldn't break out of it.

He blinked at me, and his arm moved as some unintelligible word came from his mouth. The pillow she'd been pointing at flew into the air _hard_ , hitting the ceiling on the far side of the room with force and falling to the floor.

L made a noise.

Ryan started laughing, focusing back on his pizza. His body language had changed, tightened. He was still calm and relaxed, probably even having fun, but that staff was his weapon, and like all weapons, he knew exactly how to use it.

He was _very_ focused on me.

L, oblivious to the fact that he was happily intimidating the shit out of me, proceeded to ask him any question that came to mind. She was calm and happy as they ate the pizza, and I realized that I could move closer without him tensing up.

He, in turn, was doing random little things with fire and air. If he could do something she asked about, he did it.

I was about ready to take him down.

"What's wrong?" L asked me eventually as she actually looked at me. "Why don't you think this is fun?"

"Because everything he just showed you," I noted without looking at him, "he learned to fight vampires."

"Not everything," he protested happily. "I'm really not trying to make you uncomfortable."

I met his eyes, seeing sincerity on his face.

"I'm seriously keeping myself casual here, I can sense how tense you are, even when you're across the room. I've been fighting the urge to dart away or jump at you, because while I think it'd be hilarious, you really are upset by this."

"You've been intimidating him this entire time?" L demanded, narrowing her eyes at him.

"No, I've been amusing you," he retorted. "Considering that I've spent the last twenty-four or more hours being freaked out that he was coming at me for no reason, I don't think I'm doing anything so bad."

I realized that I could keep us in balance if I scared him again. He was actually probably just as uncertain of me as I was of him. I couldn't tell if the hard sparkle in his eyes was amusement or something else, though.

"So what I saw," Ella muttered quietly as she considered me, looking back to Ryan. "That was...what?"

"Core personality traits," I supplied. "Things that make him who and what he is. That was his soul without any walls."

She looked from me, then back to Ryan. I saw the sadness in her face.

"What?" he asked, looking between us. "What did you actually see?"

"You in a room," L muttered. "Standing in a puddle of blood."

He looked away from us both.

"Don't," I told her quietly. "What you need to describe is what you understood from it. His strength and certainty, the depth of his resolve. Every piece of that scene was made from something serious in his life, and he was in that war."

"Was it...dark?" he asked, not looking at us.

"Like midnight," I agreed.

He looked away again.

"Was mine dark?" I asked, thinking about it.

"Dark like a storm," Ryan noted, actually looking around to me again. "A convoluted maze of locked doors. The things I could see are the things you own...the sex, the money, the manipulation." He looked away, his eyes going thoughtful, then blinked and looked at me again.

"What?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know.

He shook his head, a smirk rising and passing before a moment passed. "I was impressing the girl, what happened to that?"

"We saw your soul," I retorted. "I know you better than _anyone_ right now."

L sniggered.

"Even her?" Ryan jerked his head at the girl. "She's the one with the keys."

I stared at him, not even sure what that meant.

He laughed wickedly, meeting my eyes again. "You are strong."

"Shut up," I snapped, annoyed as I moved for more pizza. "Empty night, don't act like you know anything about me. The doors were all locked, right?"

Ryan was quiet a long moment, and I turned to glare at him.

"You are strong," he stated again.

I lost my ire, looking away from him as I moved to start pouring us drinks.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Ella asked curiously. "That's like, the third time now."

"Your mind was fluffy pink clouds and unicorns," he retorted.

Ella _guffawed_ at that, yanking the staff from him.

"Seriously?" I asked, trying to place the image.

Ryan laughed more, and I watched as he allowed her to smack him around with the staff. She had no idea the type of fire she was playing with, and I realized that he _would_ protect her. He would destroy anyone who hurt her.

Well, we had one thing in common.

I passed them both glasses.

"Wait, what did you put in this?" Ryan asked brightly as he took the staff back. "I wasn't watching you mix it."

"It's just a seven and seven," I retorted, drinking mine down in one swallow.

"And what did you put in it?" he asked seriously.

L laughed and kicked at him.

I moved to pour myself another glass, trying to decide what to do. As things stood, L with protection was probably the best option, but that didn't make me want to touch her any less. I could, if I wasn't trying to feed, I had several times over the day, the problem was that as soon as I let my guards down I got burned again. Her finger prints on my collarbone still throbbed painfully, though the mark on my hand had faded away.

"You know," I noted as I moved back to them, rocking where I stood. "You soul-gazed me. That means I can get my connection now."

"You are _such_ a pig," Ella informed me, rolling her eyes.

"It takes fear, that acknowledgment from me," Ryan noted, smirking at me. "Try it vampire, let's see what an hour to absorb and understand brings."

My instant threat died on my lips as I looked to L. She was smiling hugely at me as she waited for me to say it.

"What?" Ryan asked.

"He wants to threaten sexy things," she supplied, looking back to him. "Hey, Ry?"

He raised his eyebrows at her as he started to take a drink.

"Wanna threesome?"

I was too busy choking to appreciate that Ryan had nearly dropped his glass to choke.

Ella started rolling with laughter as she looked between us, appreciating her own timing. She was practically falling over.

"You should go," I noted to him seriously, wiping my mouth off.

"I'm...yeah," he agreed, not actually looking at me as he slid a pizza box from the pile.

"Wait!" L protested, still delighted with herself. She bounced over to hug him hard. "Sleep well," she offered. "See you tomorrow."

"I have to find them," he said, sobering slightly.

"Find who?" I retorted.

"Rob Davies and Lanying Pan," he said easily.

I looked to L.

"Apprentices," she explained. "I told you they came to see the dragon; from all appearances, he didn't harm them, so whoever sent him is working on grilling the dragon while they look around here for them."

"How long are you here for?" I asked, blinking at that.

"Pretty much as long as it takes," he shrugged. "I mean, or until we get confirmation that they've been grabbed," his eyes narrowed very slightly. "Then we go in and get them back."

I looked to L.

"So they checked out and didn't go home, and you think...?" she asked curiously.

"I think that much like me, they realize that there's no one here to hold them to task," he noted, running his free hand through his hair. "I think they realized that missing their train meant they stayed until they were caught, and that they're appreciating the finer things these hotels are supplying. Did you know that I only ever get a hot shower in a hotel?" he looked back to L. "And that's only if I don't stay in a room too long. I'm still shocked that none of this blew," he indicated the lighting in the ceiling. "How much magic was I using? And nothing went? I imagine the hotel designers, at least, have some knowledge of wizards."

"But how do they have money?" I protested. "Aren't your council members notoriously tight fisted?"

"Yes," he agreed, giving me a pointed look. "The people I _work_ for are spend-thrift."

I blinked, realizing that she was a _load_ better off not knowing about the council of wizards; the problem was that she already knew about the white court. There was really no point is keeping the information from her.

He studied me a heartbeat, then shrugged. "But then, Lanying's family is rich. I'm sure she's got cash enough to play here. They switched to a cheaper hotel." He looked away again, then shook his head. "I'm going to make them wait for her."

"Huh?" L asked, still eating happily.

"Nothing," he smiled at her, then nodded his head to me. "Thanks for dinner."

I waved it away as he disappeared into the hall, then blinked as I actually thought about that.

"The ass just stole an entire pizza," I noted to L.

"You _let_ him," she retorted. "You ordered enough for a group, so don't even pretend you didn't think that would happen."

I actually hadn't. My standard pizza order at the place was four.

I smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes, then went back to eating. "I do hope those kids are alright," she noted quietly.

I snorted at her, moving to sit on the couch. She followed me, sitting close as she started messing with her phone.

I tucked my toes under her thigh, looking off across the room as I selected a contact from my list.

"Joshy," Brian greeted me, though I could hear an undertone of uncertainty in his voice.

"Get a few clear-heads to find a couple kids for me," I instructed. "Like, non-attached."

"Well..." he hesitated. "Only if I won't get in trouble for it."

"I don't see why you would," I retorted. "I'm honestly just being nosy. It's a couple of apprentice wizards."

He went entirely silent.

I smirked as Ella gave me a blank look.

"I don't need them approached or anything, just found. A guy name Rob Davies and a girl named Lanying Pan. They're staying at the Travelodge off the strip."

"Why?" he asked uncertainly.

"I'll whisper the secret in your ear," I retorted.

He was silent again.

"I'll get some cash so I can pay you the next time I see you," I added.

"Do I just google pictures, or..."

"It's not like they can have facebook," I reminded him, amused. "I'll give you a stack, huh? For a job well done."

He was hesitant for a long moment, then sighed. "Of course."

"Thanks, you're my very best," I noted happily, ending the call. I knew he was worried about my intentions, he always was. It was good to get back a bit of my own after dealing with that wizard all day.

I curled my toes, appreciating Ella's warmth as she studied my face.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you going to tell him when they find him?"

"If the price is right," I smirked at her. I knew she'd tell him as soon as she got the information, but this was the least I could do after that threesome crack.

"I should tie you down," she retorted.

"Oooh, _**baby**_ ; you _know_ it."

"Joshy," she said, blinking slowly at me. "Think about it."

I was about to retort, then realized that she was actually talking about genuine torture.

I pouted at her.

She gave me a prim look, and shifted off my feet.


	5. Chapter 5

***Ryan**

Because nothing could ever be easy, we were out of the bed early. We'd been walking around the strip almost aimlessly as we talked, and none of them wanted to listen to me. I wasn't hungover, at least, but I was tired. I'd also seen L getting a coffee as we went. She'd waved, but I couldn't react without bringing the group's attention to her.

The thing was, Josh'd had ample time to manipulate the living _hell_ out of me. If Kevin realized that I'd gone back up to his suite...I mean, first of all, I _had_ gone up to his suite alone. They'd been thrilled when I'd brought the pizza back, and I'd had to explain that the girl'd been under the impression we'd all come. They'd pointed out that I hadn't invited them, and that had been about when they'd all stopped cooperating with me.

Well, Jeffrey did, anyway.

Agreeing pointedly that I hadn't invited them to pizza with me and a hot chick had made Selena giggle. Kevin had guffawed, and Jeffrey had been pissed. I'd heard him complaining about a thinking-stick...and that was about when _I_ had realized I was spending time with a vampire.

I'd wanted Josh to come fuck with him. I honestly wanted a vampire to come manipulate a member of my team.

Well, it wasn't getting any better. I had started out the day with explaining my idea. Someone needed to actually sit at the hotel, somewhere they weren't visible, and wait for the pair of brats, and it wasn't _me_ who needed to do that. My first vote had been for Selena to do it, because she was list-master. She could sit somewhere and organize the packing of our suitcases every morning and be content for the day.

We discussed it, and they dismissed it, at least Jeffrey did. Repeatedly. We'd gotten to arguing as we went, and he'd finally turned on me to demand if I thought I could pull off a search grid with three, and I pointed out there was no use in trying it with _four_.

Kevin had interceded and put the conversation off a few times in a row. Selena was asking me why I was secreting testosterone, and I'd retorted that she could find out pretty easy. It...had not been my best idea. She was furious and refusing to talk to me, which also meant refusing to plan with me. Considering how many successful retrieval missions I'd run, this was turning into a reputation crushing nightmare.

I slowed as we reached a quiet area, looking my three over.

"What?" Selena asked sharply.

"Jeffrey," I said seriously, meeting his eyes briefly. "Go to the hotel."

"No," he snapped. "I don't want to..."

" _I said_ _ **go**_ ," I stated, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Ry..." he started.

I stared at him.

He huffed hard, avoiding my eyes and spinning to storm away from us.

"Go with him," I ordered Selena. "But you wait near that drugstore, because chances are they get food there."

She sighed and nodded, turning to catch up with Jeffrey.

"What do we do?" Kevin asked, crossing his arms.

"You tell me if anyone complains about this," I returned, digging my chalk from my pocket. I drew a pentagram quickly and set my compass in the middle. I'd altered the thing so it'd stop pointing north, and I enchanted it to point at things, sources of magic, types of perfume, I'd even had it attuned to a cat at one point. The cat was its default position, actually, because little sisters are pesky.

Here, in the middle of Las Vegas, magic was...I didn't to say rare, but it definitely wasn't common. With all of the slot machines, video screens, monitoring systems, and cell phone usage, spells would most likely wipe everything out like an EMP and get you noticed _damn_ fast. Well, that'd been my theory before I'd let my hormones lead me by the thinking-stick, anyway. I hadn't blown anything in the suite, but that was probably because big-money types disliked it when wizards came and everything malfunctioned.

Kevin and I had been through hell together. He watched my back and I watched his, with anyone else I would have been worried that someone would spot me, and the concentration I needed would escape me. With him watching, I was able to form the spell, then direct it at my little compass. Considering that the dragon was a main factor of the area, the needle spun immediately that way. I'd figured out alterations to the spell over the years I'd used it, though, so I took a few moments to fine-tune it.

Kevin cleared his throat.

I shifted how I sat as the needle started to spin, dropping my rear onto my little chalk drawing and looking around.

A group of tourists were coming toward us, they were all laughing and chatting. They moved around us without noticing us, and I took a long drink of my water bottle as I watched the needle spinning.

"Well?" he asked. "Do you have to start again?"

I sighed, passing it to him.

"And you used?"

"Magic," I sighed, drinking more. "I told it to ignore the dragon, so..."

"So how do we go from here?" he asked, dropping it back to me. "Clockwise? Back the way we came? Why the hell did it take you this long to set it up?"

"I was only sent here because we happened to be at the castle," I pointed out. "Any group would have worked, they just wanted numbers to throw in this direction." I watched the needle spinning thoughtfully. "I honestly thought it'd be a case of going to the dragon and telling him to give them back. I didn't expect them to run off into the desert. I didn't expect to have to search."

"We found out _damn_ quick that it wasn't the dragon," Kevin pointed out, narrowing his eyes at me. He considered things a moment, then sighed and dropped next to me. "Please tell me he didn't actually mark you for feeding."

I shook my head. "I don't like Jeffrey," I reminded him. "Selena is fine, but Jeffrey strikes a nerve. I knew he wasn't going to accept my ideas until I made them orders."

"You could have done this the night we _got_ here," he reminded me. "I can't say anything about the party because I got yanked into it, too, but as soon as you got over your hangover I expected you to do this," he yanked the chain so the compass came out of my hands. He watched it spinning a long moment, then clutched it into his hand as he looked around. "Sitting here won't do shit."

"I was going to do it yesterday," I admitted. "After we figured out when they'd checked out. You guys were doing your thing, and when I was trying to find somewhere private I could cast this...L was alone at that big lounge in that mall," I gestured toward the shopping area. "She was upset and trying to open a new mobile. I went to check on her and all hell broke loose."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, massaging his face.

"I'm talking about white court vampires," I returned. "Because Josh only marked me because he's insecure and thought I was moving in on her at that party we were at."

"You talked to her for maybe a minute," he reminded me.

"That's what she said, too, and he noted that in a room full of models, she came to me. That doesn't matter, though. Two of his cousins came and one of them was in their suite while he was doing god-knows what," I sighed, shifting myself to stand and offering my friend a hand up. "The other one was waiting on the casino floor. She nearly tapped _him_ on the shoulder and realized it wasn't Josh and took off. She was alone and scared, and she had no way to know if the cousins were after her or doing something with Josh."

He frowned at me as he poured some of his water onto my circle, using his foot to smear the lines.

"We were looking through the mall for the kids, and the second one came at her." I hesitated, deciding not to tell Kevin that she was protected; Josh loving her was a liability for him.

What the hell had happened in my life that I was protecting a vampire? Well, the information put her in danger, too.

I sighed as we started walking again, leading us at random. "I spent twenty minutes leading her around and getting away from him before I could get back on task," I added quietly. "And she was getting tired, so I was less on task."

He turned his head to look at me. "Why are you doing this?" he asked quietly. "Why tell me? You know I should send you back to central right _now_."

"Because I know you won't," I returned, looking around vaguely. "Because I know you'll watch me to make sure he hasn't gotten to me. I'm...almost positive he hasn't though."

"Why?" Kevin demanded, stopping in more shade to study my face. " _Why?_ "

I smirked slightly at him. "Because after he fought that ass who'd been chasing us off, he accidentally initiated a soul-gaze."

He stared at me.

I met Kevin's eyes seriously, waiting a beat to see if anything would happen.

Kevin and I had been through hell; we'd been sucked into a soul-gaze during a battle. He knew me. If something like that had happened...

He shook his head.

I let out a slight sigh, looking around again. "So the next thing we need to decide is what they might be doing. If they are running around, there's not much down by their hotel, right? I can't imagine them actually gambling at slots..."

"Cards and table games," he countered, heading toward the street again. "I mean, I think we should just make the loop—how far do you think this will scan?"

"I can't tell," I sighed. "That's the problem here. If we were in a small city or in one with less people and buildings, it'd be a mile. I don't think we get a mile here."

"Damn," he sighed. "You're supposed to just magically do the spell that fixes things for us."

I snorted at him.

We wandered down the sidewalk, people watching. He had the compass in hand, and one of the benefits of it being an actual moving thing was that it vibrated with the motion. I had to take it apart now and again to clean and oil it, but as long as I kept the pieces in good shape, the needle would spin in circles for days.

Well, maybe just hours.

I sighed as he we reached one of the air bridges, trying to think of our next move. I hadn't ever really been this scattered on a mission before. It really was that damn vampire's fault. I could have dealt with being kidnapped by the dragon alright. He really had been watching his own ass. I could have dealt with going to a party and getting laid—that certainly wasn't _good_ in the overall scheme of things, but we were in Vegas and had been mistaken for rich folk.

But then damn _Josh_ had happened. I wasn't entirely sure I hadn't been influenced by the creature, and it creeped me out internally. I was nearly positive he was scared of me, but I knew that if he ever actually threw something at me, I'd probably succumb. I didn't want him realizing that, though.

It killed me that I'd walked _toward_ him that first night. Just like every girl and every other guy. They'd been exposed to him at least once before going to the party. I hadn't been. I'd seen him at the mall, but he hadn't even stayed near me. I'd just turned and floated up to him so he could smirk at me and nearly touch me.

Well, I _had_ intimidated the shit out of him while amusing L. He wasn't entirely wrong that my castings were learned from training to be a vampire hunter.

Ha.

I'd gotten pretty decent at keeping the red court off of me, and fire did a good job of keeping the black court away—though, honestly, the black court stayed low key. I'd had more fights than some in my group. Jeffrey, for instance, had done a lot of strategic withdrawing. He'd gotten his ends and saved lives, but he hadn't done much of the stand and fight thing.

I hadn't had any other choice.

I slowed, remembering the sound of the little girl crying. I was almost positive we'd been in Europe, but some of those campaigns had been vague. Sleep deprivation didn't help either.

Kevin turned to _look_ at me.

I moved and sat on another low wall, rubbing at my face.

"What?" Kevin asked, moving back to stand in front of me.

"My thoughts went dark," I supplied, focusing on the sound of a diesel engine rumbling past. It was one of the ad-trucks.

Kevin sighed, moving to sit next to me.

I took the compass from him, watching it whir a long moment, then cracked open my bottle.

"What did he say?" Kevin asked quietly. "What makes you think he's scared of you?"

"He wouldn't come near me for the first couple minutes," I grinned slightly. "He kept trying to call the girl away from me—he, he grabs my hair," I rubbed at my scalp. "He gets ahold of me, and when I can't get away, he just... _watches_ me. I mean, it's better than some of the other shit he could pull, but it's so damn _personal_."

"Anything he does to feed is _so_ damn personal," Kevin retorted. "Because it's intimacy."

I nodded, thinking back. "L was demanding what had happened, and I looked up at her...we caught the timing just right."

He turned to _look_ at me.

"Yes," I agreed dryly. "It wasn't enough to do it once, I had to do it twice."

I thought back to the impression I'd gotten from Ella. It'd been a mixture of warmth and love, lust and frustration, and a longing to be independent with a fear of being alone.

"She sort of collapsed," I added, "then asked me about the little girl."

"She heard the crying, too?" he asked, turning his head to look at me. "You saved her, Ry."

I shook my head, not wanting to think about it. It seemed far less than useful to be stressing over something I couldn't control. I stood, looking around. "Let's go."

Kevin followed me easily. "Seriously, though, what did he say?"

"He said he didn't want to be my enemy," I noted, then explained the scene to him. He didn't seem inclined to stop me, so I proceeded to tell him about going up to the suite again. "I swear he was constantly reading my mood, but L was impressed...then she asked me if I wanted to threesome and we both decided to call it a night while she laughed her ass off at us."

He blinked, looking back at me.

"I intimidated him," I grinned at my friend, checking the compass again. "And it took her a while to realize that he didn't think my magic tricks were neat. We were digging at each other. I think there must have been something said between them, though, because the _way_ she said it..." I shook my head.

"So you're having a pissing contest with an incubus," Kevin noted, rubbing at his face. "To win a girl that's addicted to him."

"That's the thing," I noted, looking to him. "She's not...not yet, anyway. She told me they've been friends since before he changed. They went out of their way to avoid her being exposed. Something happened, though, because they screwed yesterday; it was why she was so tired."

"And you're just going to leave her with him?" he demanded.

"I'm pretty certain he'd die before letting anything happen to her. _She_ was part of _him_."

He blinked, thinking about it. "Can he touch her?"

"Huh?"

"Him, the incubus," Kevin looked sidelong at me. "Can he touch her? You said they had sex."

I hesitated, but this _was_ Kevin. "Only casually," I smirked slightly to him. "I put her hand on him and triggered him, it was hilarious. He sort of shouted and fell back from her."

A guy wandered toward us, looking me up and down. He was the sort of guy that would have been at that party, actually he might _have_ been.

He stopped in front of me.

"We're more broke than you," Kevin noted. "We won't buy your cd."

His eyes sparkled as he looked between us, then pulled out an envelope and passed it to me. "Josh says to get a damn cell phone," he stated.

I took the envelope, focusing on it quickly. My name was written on the front, and I couldn't sense anything from it. I looked to the guy with interest.

"I'm Brian," he said calmly as he looked Kevin over. "And if he hadn't promised me..." he rubbed his fingertips together in front of his mouth with a smirk. "I wouldn't bother."

We both shifted back slightly as we realized this was most likely one of Josh's thralls.

Brian leaned forward so we were face to face, then into my ear. "If you honestly think I couldn't do better than _you_ , I'm going to laugh. Joshy said to give you this," he pressed something into my chest, clicking his teeth beside my ear, then turned to get in Kevin's face before starting to walk away. He turned to walk backwards from us, then pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh."

We watched him go in disbelief.

I was holding a key.

I stared at the thing, it was hanging from a wide white ribbon. I ripped the envelope open, feeling a tingling in my fingertips and realize the damn white had _licked_ it. I wiped my fingers off as they throbbed, making a face, then pulled out a letter that looked like it was written by a high schooler.

 _Ryan, I'd like to request your presence around seven in my suite. Enclosed you'll find an invitation to my room and my personal card. The key is to a club called Secrets. If you'd like to go there, dress better and show them my card. Brian will treat ya real nice._

I considered that blankly, then read down the rest of the information. There was an address for the club, an address for Ella, which actually was good—it had her cell number, but that was less useful.

I blinked at a tilted note at the bottom, it'd obviously been written by a different person.

 _Ry, Josh wants to see if you'll come up again or not, so I won't tell you why_.

"What the hell?" Kevin asked, taking it from me to read.

"I don't know," I muttered, considering the words myself as I looked back to the key. I slid it into my pocket, looking around for the guy again.

"Let's keep going," he suggested. "This is bizarre...what the hell club has a locked door?"

"And why do I need the info for it?" I agreed, rolling my eyes.

We moved on. There wasn't a lot more to say about that blasted vampire, so our attention moved onto the kids we were chasing down. Kevin decided to call me out because I _called_ them kids, but even though they were maybe two years younger than us, they were still apprentices. The argument was actually making us both in a worse mood, as we reached the Bellagio fountains.

We both moved into one of the little alcoves, sighing tiredly.

I watched the water show as the music fizzled and popped over us, and noticed that Kevin was watching the compass.

"What?" I asked quietly.

"Your testosterone is interfering with your brain," he noted.

I considered that and how offensive it was, then gave him a look.

"Did you block us out?"

I stared at him.

"Did you block _us_ out of the scan?" he insisted. "Or were you too worried about getting a white fix to think about that."

I started laughing at that, elbowing him hard as I took the compass back. I considered what I'd cast a moment. "If I hadn't blocked us out," I noted, "then it would be pointing at us instead of spinning."

"Are you sure?" he retorted. "Because if the spell is centered on the spinner and we're holding it..."

"That would make no sense," I protested, blinking at him. "It's on the tip."

"Just making sure," he retorted.

I wanted to smack him, but that wouldn't actually do any of us any good.

"Hey." We both looked to see Brian standing near us again with a cell to his ear as he nodded. "Josh wants to know if you'll meet him now," Brian supplied, pointing along the strip.

"Why?" I asked blankly.

The kid listened a minute, then nodded. "He says he'll tell you if you meet him."

"Tell him that I'm actually busy at the moment, then come closer so your phone shorts."

The guy blinked at me...and stepped closer. He started laughing as he moved back again, spinning away from us and talking. It took him a few minutes before he ended his call.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked as he actually moved closer.

"Makin' bank," he shrugged at me. "Josh said that he has a job for you that you'll probably enjoy so to shut up and stop bitching and come meet him where you watched him take Ethan down."

He actually seemed to think about those words, then closed his eyes tightly.

"What?" I muttered, not moving away from the railing.

"If he really had a run-in with Ethan, and you watched it, then Ethan is _not_ going to leave you be."

"I'm seriously not involved in his family squabbles," I protested.

"You seriously are," Brian retorted, opening his eyes to study me with interest. "Just come, alright? If I can get you down there, he said he'd give me five hundred cash. I'll give you a hundred of that."

I considered him.

"I have five minutes," he protested seriously, starting to back away. "If I can't get you going he's going to..." he hesitated, looking away.

I saw that look of uncertainty in his eyes, that frustration. I'd seen it in the mirror several times before we sat down for pizza. Josh had threatened him, and if he was reacting that way, it meant he wasn't actually a thrall.

I sighed, pushing away and starting to follow him.

"Really?" Brian and Kevin asked at the same time.

"He's a vindictive ass," I told Kevin as Brian stepped away again, looking between us. "What _are_ you doing?"

"Being a cell phone," he retorted, rolling his eyes and moving a few steps forward. "Let me call him."

I watched him move off ahead of us, looking around as the speaker we'd been by buzzed and quieted. It picked back up as we went, and the next one started buzzing slightly.

"What are we doing?" Kevin asked pointedly.

"Keeping the vampire from attacking him," I pointed at Brian. "Besides, if he has a job..."

"There we go again, using your thinking stick," he retorted.

I gave him a look. "I told you he used fear. And if he's saying _job_ then he should _pay_ us. We need to walk this area anyway to see if it can find those kids, so it's not like we're getting off mission by going to talk to him."

Kevin let out an audible and irritated sigh.

I ignored it, moving to catch up with Brian as his call ended.

"Your phone is going to stop working if you don't turn it off," Kevin informed him as he joined the young man.

He sighed. "Josh promised me a new one when I agreed to meet with you again."

"What is this, actually?" I asked.

"I work at Secrets," he supplied, making a face. "Good wages, and the tips may as well be salary...but there's this huge risk of one of _them_ coming in and _eating_ me."

"So why do you stay?"

"What the hell else am I supposed to do?" he retorted, glaring back at me. "I tried the model thing, and everyone seemed to think I should try the porn thing along with it."

"You're with the right group of psychos for that," I noted, grinning slightly at him.

"Right?" he asked, shivering slightly. "Doesn't matter. I have the job until I get ugly or want to quit."

"That's gotta be good for your self-confidence," Kevin muttered.

He looked back at us irritably, turning and heading for an elevator.

"Pretty-boy," Kevin said seriously. "You wanna be stuck with us for an hour in an elevator, keep going that way. You want to get this done with, the stairs," he pointed at the things.

Brian huffed, turning for the stairs as well.

"But why the hell are you down here?" I added. "I thought you were a thrall, but I understand that the ego-on-stilts threatened you. Considering the things he threatens me with, I'm assuming you're not actually part of his coterie."

"I'm his bartender of choice," Brian noted dryly. "And when he wants something done without his family noticing right away, he sends me to do it. He's got to do something today and L made him figure something out. Everything he told me was laced with innuendo, so I'm not actually sure what's going on."

Kevin opened his mouth.

"Don't say it," I snapped quickly. "Anything he knows means he's a liability."

"One wrong word to the wrong person and I'm fucked, probably literally," Brian agreed, making a face. "And if it's the wrong _sort_ of word, then I'm dead." He looked between us, pressing his finger to his lips again. "The only way to survive is to keep your head down, your ears closed, and your mouth shut."

"You want out?" Kevin asked.

Brian hesitated, looking between us. "No," he decided. "Not yet."

We moved on together as Kevin watched the compass, finally reaching an area where other people _weren't_ walking. We eased our pace to stay out of the throng as best we could.

"Did he honestly call you to come deliver us a message?" Kevin asked after a while, looking around.

"Yes," Brian made an amused noise. "He's seriously paying me for this. If my phone starts messing up, he's replacing it. If...if I don't do it, he said he'd lick me."

"That's gross," Kevin noted happily.

"I think it's more than gross," I noted dryly. "You saw what he did at that party, and he didn't even talk to me. He didn't touch me."

"I would never make it back out," Brian noted quietly. "I don't think he realizes it, but if that started, I'd be done. I don't have the will power for that shit, and hey, no one cares about me anyway," he directed a dark look to Kevin.

"I will get you out," Kevin retorted. "I'll give you my number and you can call me. I'll bring the destroyer," he pointed at me with his thumb, "and we'll ruin them."

Brian slowed, looking back to us curiously.

I yawned, swatting vaguely at my friend.

Kevin smirked.

Brian turned to lead the way again, and we finally came around that final corner to see Josh leaning against the tree I'd been standing under when he'd attacked me. Josh turned his head with all the casualness of a curious lion, his eyes obscured by sunglasses, then smiled at Brian.

Brian let us catch up with him, then move around him.

"I brought my thinkin' stick," I noted happily, touching my staff. "What'cha wanna think about?"

"I knew you'd come," Josh informed me happily, his eyes still directed toward Brian. "I knew exactly what to say to him to get you here."

"And Brian chooses to be protected," Kevin noted happily.

Josh looked him up and down with interest, lowering his sunglasses to actually meet his eyes. "You Jeffrey?"

"What?" Kevin asked blankly. "No, I'm Kev."

Josh snorted, looking back to me as he righted the sunglasses. "L wants to run around with you today."

" _What?_ " I asked blankly.

"I get to go meet with my great uncle," Josh said with a bright smile. "I only have to be there long enough to apologize for not greeting him, but I want L to stay at the suite tonight for..." he looked back to Brian with a smirk.

"I did what you asked," Brian said in a mock happy tone. "I did it all and did in time."

Joshua crooked a finger at the young man, then dug out a wallet.

We all watched as he licked his fingers to count out some bills, then smirked at the young man as he offered the cash over.

Brian was obviously not thrilled. He hesitated as far back as he could manage, then took the money with a smile. "Thanks."

"Come tonight," Joshua ordered, catching his wrist. "Come."

"Is that an innuendo?" Kevin asked blankly.

I swatted at him.

Brian ignored the question, nodding quickly to Josh. He'd tensed at the touch, and I shifted myself forward toward them both.

Josh let him go, smirking at me.

Brian hesitated a brief moment, then turned toward the casino as he tucked the cash away.

"What was that?" I asked dryly.

"That was him remembering that when he's not at work, I don't _have_ to respect him. I choose to."

"What's up your ass?" Kevin asked, moving to stand beside me again with his own hand resting beside his staff on his hip.

Joshua ignored the question, pulling out more cash and fisting it as he offered his hand. "Keep her happy, and I'll give you more when I pick her up."

"I'm not making promises," I noted, shaking his hand and realizing he hadn't wiped it off. Not only was that gross, but the back of my hand was tingling. "I need to start wearing gloves."

Josh laughed, and I noticed Kevin shifting slightly back.

"Ry!" L said happily, moving out of the building with a tray of coffees. She looked around, frowning. "Where did Brian go?"

"Your incubus decided it'd be fun to intimidate him," I supplied, rolling my eyes. "He took off as soon as he could."

She made an unhappy noise, then gave Josh an unhappy look.

Josh sighed, pushing himself up and taking a coffee from the tray. "Sorry. Your wizard brings out the worst in me."

"Be careful," she told him, leaning over to kiss his cheek briefly. "If you don't come back in a few hours I'm going to freak out."

He nodded, touching her hand briefly, then nodded seriously to me as he moved the sunglasses. He studied me, then turned and disappeared into the building as well.

L sighed, then smiled slightly at Kevin. "You like caramel macchiato?"

"Huh?" he asked blankly, looking her over.

"Caramel macchiato," she said again, tilting her head at us. "I got a white mocha, too."

"So, you wanna see a coffee place shut down real fast?" I asked happily. "He and I can step in there and watch the fun."

She snorted at that, then indicated the cups. "Pick one, I don't care which."

Kevin hesitated, then reached over to grab a cup. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't," she shrugged. "That was for Brian. You two okay? Sorry about Josh. He doesn't like his family much, and having to go play up to his...his uncle makes him anxious."

"So what are we doing?" I asked curiously, taking a cup as I studied the handful of bills he'd given me.

"I don't know, whatever you want," she smiled. "I mean, I'm assuming you're going to let me tag along since you're here."

"I didn't really agree," I pointed out, studying her. "I only came because he threatened Brian."

She laughed at that, shaking her head. "He doesn't actually mean it. There's some game between them."

"Brian is scared of him," I pointed out. "I don't think it's so much a game as trying to keep his head above water."

She frowned as she took the last cup and looked between us. "Well, that's disappointing."

"We're looking for magic," I added as I took a careful sip of the hot drink. I got my coffee from a French-press, the most advanced coffee I'd ever had was from a stove-top percolator. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, and sipped carefully. My first thought was _sweet_ followed by _**hot**_ , and I gasped as I jerked back.

"Take the top off, genius," L noted happily, reaching over to pluck of the fitted lid. "It's fresh," she added, taking the lid carefully off Kevin's drink and smiling at him. "I'm L."

He smiled almost shyly back at her, focusing on the cup. "I'm Kevin."

L beamed at him, then looked back to me.

"I have this," I noted, taking the compass from Kevin's hand to pass to the girl. "If it senses what we're looking for, it'll point at it."

"Oh _wow_ ," Kevin muttered, sipping more at his drink and nearly spilling. "It's _good_ , Ry."

I looked back to him, then leaned forward to blow a bit at my cup.

"That's a white mocha," L informed him happily, smiling to me. "Yours is caramel macchiato. What do you think?"

"I'm not sure I can taste anything at the moment," I retorted. I sipped carefully, then made a slight face.

"Let me try," Kev muttered, switching cups with me and starting to blow before I could do anything.

L smiled at me as I made an annoyed gesture at the guy.

Kev sipped carefully, then again. He made an almost indecently happy noise, smirking briefly at me, then drank more.

L tilted her head at me.

I sighed, sipping at my new cup carefully, then again. I took a third drink, and understood what my friend had meant.

It was _good_.

"Score one for the doe," L noted, dancing happily at me.

We both frowned, lowering the cups to look at her.

She looked between us, though I could see her amusement. "What?"

"Doe is a white word," Kev explained, making a face. "They see humans as cattle, breeding stock and food. You're not a _doe_ , you're a beautiful woman."

L gave him an impressed look. "Thank you."

Kevin nearly blushed, looking away again.

"What he means is that as far as we're concerned, doe is a derogatory term," I clarified. "And you should fix your shirt, because we're getting cleavage shots."

L _squealed_ , swatting at me hard. I nearly dropped my coffee, spinning quickly to keep it from splashing as Kevin _roared_ with laughter. Everyone turned to look at us as L fixed her shirt and glared at me, and I started laughing as well.

"I'm going home," she informed me.

"Thanks for the cash and coffee," I retorted happily, sipping more at my nectar as I watched her.

"Wait," Kevin protested, stepping forward before glaring at me. He obviously expected me to call her back, but I knew I didn't need to.

"Oh, shit, wait," I started after her. "I need the compass back."

L turned to look over her shoulder at me, then turned and sauntered away.

I started laughing, giving careful chase. She hadn't given us back our lids, which meant I couldn't catch up to her without spilling.

She started giggling as we reached the door, spinning and blowing a kiss at me...before running into the casino.

I started laughing, giving immediate chase. She was obviously intending to lose me in the crowd, and when I caught up to her before she could actually reach the slot machines, she squealed again, spinning into my chest and hugging me hard.

I laughed as well, sipping more at my cup and looking around to see Kevin raising an eyebrow at us.

"Give us the compass and lids," I told her. "Then you can go."

I was not even remotely surprised when she smacked me in the arm. Hard.


	6. Chapter 6

***Josh**

"Hey, cousin," Ethan said, smiling at me. "How's your doe?"

"They were fine the last time I was here," I protested, heading for my suite. I wanted to check in on them and wash up, then change. I was supposed to have a cup of tea or something equally inane with my grandfather. I knew better than to expect it, though. He'd start it off with a sit-down, and after I apologized for not greeting him like I should, and explained away the disrespect of it, he'd excuse himself and I could leave again.

"I'm going over to the college, I think," Ethan noted casually as he spun car keys in his hand. "Maybe back to the strip."

I ignored that, heading into my rooms.

"Josh!" Vanessa bounced up from the couch she'd been laying on naked, leaning up to kiss me.

"Not now," I muttered, running my hands down her sides as I realized how _Hungry_ I was.

She mewled after me as I pulled away and moved into the bathroom. Rebecca was sitting on the bed with a petulant look as I moved to my closet.

"I'll come back," I told them both, rolling my eyes as I changed shirts. I didn't know why they were pretending to be so upset by me ignoring them. They'd both wander around the house getting any attention they could manage. The only reason they were in my room was because it had blackout curtains.

It only took me a moment to turn and start out of my room. I stopped as I shut the door, realizing that Ethan had said the college and the strip.

The college was the part that meant something. The college meant Ella.

I swore, texting Brian to warn her for me and that I'd be busy. If I told her directly, she'd panic and start talking to me. I couldn't afford to have that distraction right now, the wrong word here could end me.

* * *

 ***L**

I stared down at my phone, moving forward to grab Ryan's hand. He didn't seem to notice, holding my hand casually. I was about to ask him if girls grabbed his hand often, then realized that I really had been holding it most of the previous day.

"Ry?" I said, catching up with him as I pocketed my phone again. "Brian just texted me."

"Oh?" he asked as Kevin turned to look at me. "Does he want us to come for him?"

I blinked at that, then shook my head. "I have no idea what that even means, but no...Josh texted him to tell me...Ethan is coming down here."

Ry flinched as Kevin gave him a curious look.

"Let's head back toward their hotel," he ordered, looking specifically to Kevin. "If we don't pick them up there, we'll have to get a taxi. Eyes and ears up," he added seriously. "White'll be on our ass at any point now with his ego in a bunch," he circled his fingers as he said it, pumping his wrist up and down.

"Was that a dick joke?" I demanded as Kevin nodded seriously.

"Not a joke, pretty," Kevin retorted, his attention going outwards. "A warning. You stay between us, don't run, don't scream. If something comes at us, stay put. If we have to retreat, stay with Ryan. I'll do path sweeps."

Ryan passed Kevin...a handful of perfume vials. The same sample ones he'd been using the day before.

"If he comes at us, hit him hard," Ryan ordered. "We need to get in and under and throw him. We can startle him and make him wary. The girl will burn him, so let her touch him. You hear me?" he asked meeting my eyes. "If he comes at you, just touch him. Spit at him too."

I nodded, blinking a bit.

He hesitated a moment, meeting my eyes. "You didn't have sex with Brian, right?"

"What?" I demanded in disbelief. " _No_."

"Good," he muttered, his manner turning brisk. He was watching around us the same way Kevin was. We turned off the main strip to a set of stairs that led up to a moving sidewalk, but they didn't stop walking. The machine's engine started whirring harder, and the entire thing lurched, but we moved off of that one before it stopped. We were onto the next set in a heartbeat, and I realized with some disbelief that...they were both trained for this.

I hadn't thought overly much about what had been said the night before. After that soul-gaze with Ryan, Josh had pointed out that he'd been _in_ that wizard and vampire war. Most of the details I remembered about that scene were from the war; the puddle of blood, the sword, the little girl crying. Josh had been anxious as hell about the magic he'd been throwing around. It'd all been the offensive sort of explosive power, none of it had been subtle.

We finally moved into the Bellagio, and I slowed as we moved under a ceiling of glass-blown flowers. They were gorgeous, and I wasn't sure what we were actually doing.

"Not by the door," Ryan ordered, moving to grab my arm.

We moved through the opening to the atrium, and I noticed Kevin actually looking at the display. It seemed a little abstract to me, but that might be because all I knew was that they had seasonal displays.

"What do we do?" Kevin asked after a moment. "What's the extraction point?"

"It's going to be whenever Josh gets back," Ry noted dryly, looking around. "And since we only have the vaguest ideas of when that will be, I'm liking the notion of tucking her away somewhere."

"The only place to tuck her away is our hotel room," Kevin snapped.

"Or theirs," Ryan gestured with the compass. "We need to get down there and see if they're back yet. At the very least, I want Selena and Jeffrey to know."

"They _will_ report you," Kevin snapped. "I'm one thing, but they don't know you like that."

"Like that?" I asked blankly.

"He's got my back," Ryan explained.

"The destroyer only comes knocking when there's a life to save," Kev smirked slightly at me. "And once you've seen it three or four times, you start thinking things like the incubus nearly set him off."

I looked back to Ryan, remembering the cold words he'd spoken during the soul-gaze. "What do you control?" I asked blankly.

Ryan gave me a blank look.

"Everything," Kevin sounded amused. "I wouldn't be that surprised if he's already out maneuvered your incubus."

"I don't get to _talk_ when I'm being reprimanded anymore," Ry smirked at me. "I don't know why."

Kevin laughed at that.

"Do you have an ETA?" Ry added, looking toward my phone. "Anything?"

"No, just that text," I frowned as I clutched my phone through my pocket. "And if Josh is telling Brian to tell me something, that means he can't talk."

"Why?" Ryan asked blankly. "What's up with this uncle of his?"

"I guess...he's the king of the court."

"This is _you_ ," Kevin snapped, gesturing at Ryan and storming away.

I looked back to Ryan uncertainly.

"Right," Ryan said, obviously thinking. "Right...so...if we do anything, we have to face the wrath of the white king."

"What does that mean?" I asked blankly.

He met my eyes. "It means that if I do the wrong thing here, I can start another war," he noted, looking away. "Though I don't think this is the same thing."

"Huh?"

"The war with the reds," he met my eyes thoughtfully. "It started because of a girl, too."

I crossed my arms over my chest, looking away.

"Let's go, we want off the street before he gets down here."

I nodded, following after him. I was worried about Kevin, but the guy had fallen in with us before we even left the atrium.

It was quiet as we went, and I started feeling decidedly unnerved. The two males were obviously focused outward. It wasn't until we'd reached the edge of Caesar's Palace that I realized I didn't know where we were going. "Where?" I demanded.

"Travelodge," Ryan supplied. "By Circuscircus."

I _stopped_.

"What?" Ryan demanded, turning to look at me. "What's wrong?"

"That's like two miles," I snapped, moving into the shade. "At least two miles...in the heat."

They both gave me confused looks.

"I'm not walking that far," I snapped, moving to sit. "We can get a cab or something, but I'm not walking any further than Fashion Show."

Ryan looked to Kevin and they both looked back to me.

"The mall?" I asked, looking between them. "Just past that?" I pointed toward TI.

They looked to each other again, then Kevin nodded.

"Fine," Ryan sighed, reaching down to tug me up. "We'll go to the mall."

I looked between them and went limp. It brought the first laugh from Ryan that I'd heard in hours. I started giggling hard, but he didn't drop me, he swung me around and maneuvered me into his arms.

I was glad Josh wasn't around, he'd have flipped out.

I laughed more, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You ever hear of the calm before the storm?" Kevin asked dryly.

I turned to look at him, blinking a few times as Ry let me go and stepped back.

"Because I'm pretty sure lighting's about to strike," he added seriously.

Ry's attention changed very slightly, but he didn't look around. "Let's go into the shops," he suggested happily, taking me by the hand and walking back the way we'd come.

I got from the subtle commentary that someone had seen something, wasn't sure _who_ or what since we had some much coming against us...

"Easy, kitten," Kevin muttered, moving up to my back. "Predators chase, prey runs."

"I'm pretty sure I'm prey right now," I snapped back.

"I'm gonna path break," Kevin noted, digging a perfume bottle out of his pocket. "Drop a couple, meet..." he looked around.

"Atrium, Paris, or the escalators," Ryan returned. "Let's drop two each, give it ten feet."

Kevin nodded and slowed.

I followed Ryan as he wandered down a hall. I had no idea what his measurement was, but it wasn't any ten feet I knew. He pulled out a perfume bottle and uncorked it, winking at me before his arm swung back...and the bottle fell to the floor. The scent was terrible, it reminded me of little girls at a store trying on all the perfumes.

"That smell lingers," I complained. "How do we get away from it?"

"It doesn't only linger on us," he pointed out, glancing back as a woman cursed and fanned the air in front of her face. She was speaking in a foreign language to a friend as she walked off.

And she really wasn't the only one. People were making noises as they went past, and I had feeling the miasma would linger.

"So all he has to do is follow the trail of scent?" I asked, looking back to Ryan. "Every ten feet drop a bottle and he figures it out?"

"When it was just us," Ry agreed, shrugging. "But the thing here is that it's not. As long as Kev is careful, he should be able to drop bottles in a ray, and he'll pick a path that we took and have one or two more bottles that way."

I looked at him.

"Scents are...matted here," he said, looking around. "Years and years of high traffic humans, cleaning and sweat...I imagine even the pollution from the traffic. These perfume sample will be the most intense, but they really aren't the only ones."

"Have you done this before?" I asked blankly.

"Path break?" he asked, then hesitated. "I mean, laying a false scent? A bunch. I prefer this version," he patted his pocket, "to the one we draw blood with a syringe."

I shuddered at the idea.

"This is honestly what I do," he added quietly as he looked around. "The long and short of this is that you need saved, and," he looked to the compass still whirring in his hand. "And I can't do anything else right now anyway."

I nodded, frowning at the thing myself.

"Let's go."

* * *

 ***Josh**

I felt better as I stood in the shower, giving Rebecca a few minutes to herself. I turned and soaped myself up, then turned the water off. She was giggling and talking to Vanessa, and I tuned the pair out as I got slowly dried off.

I felt...torn. My grandfather hadn't said too much to me, but he had been angry. Lara had wandered in at one point and grabbed me by a handful of hair and told me to respect the ones who needed respected, but she'd also torn at _me_ while she spoke. I hadn't even tried to fight her, she was _damn_ strong and a psycho bitch. I didn't matter to the rest of the family, so no one would advocate for me, not even my mothers. I'd nearly ripped at her in return, but she'd have invaded me and probably embarrassed the living shit out of me before leaving me bruised and bloody on the floor.

I groaned to myself, realizing that I couldn't stand to confront the wizard feeling this way. I'd attack him and he'd probably bring me down again. I wandered over to Vanessa, wrapping an arm around her as she leaned back into my chest.

"Are you never sated?" she teased.

"You're mean to me," I pouted at her, lifting her and shifting her onto the dresser.

She laughed wickedly, reaching forward and dragging her fingernails down my chest as she met my eyes. "You want me to be?"

"You pretend you will," I retorted. "But you never manage it."

* * *

 ***Ryan**

I'd known it was too good to last.

I was worried about Kevin, because the vampire had found us in the end. I knew it could be chance, or he could have gotten used to the damn perfume scents, but that meant that I was left, currently alone, to deal with him.

L and I had made it from Caesar's to the Bellagio again, and we'd only waited a few minutes in the atrium before heading out to the escalators. We'd made it across the street and to the replica of the Eiffel Tower, and waited about ten minutes for nothing. We'd started down the strip toward our first fallback mark, which was the fallback mark for my whole team; it was that mall thing, that Miracle Mile.

Unfortunately, the vampire had caught onto that one. He'd been wandering around waiting for us, and I'd seen his eyes flash silver as they landed on L.

We had left pretty damn quick, but that didn't mean we'd gotten away. We were walking fast as he finally reached a wide open market place. The wind had picked up, though it was still not cold at all, and the sun was hovering over the mountains in the west like a soggy blanket.

"Ry?" L's voice was tight.

"Yeah?" I asked, moving into the area so the people could help hide us.

"I'm scared."

"And what does that mean?" I asked, trying to work out the best way to help her.

"Josh isn't back yet," she swallowed, pulling her phone out to stare at it. "I'm not sure if something happened to him...and if he knows Ethan is coming after me..."

I wondered what it said about my psyche that I figured the vamp was taking his time because he'd left her with me. I called Josh an ego-on-stilts, and look at me?

"If it comes down to it," I muttered, "I've got my thinkin' stick."

"What?" she asked, distracted from her worries.

I tapped my staff, grinning at her.

She considered it, then raised an eyebrow at me.

I laughed quietly, looking the area over. "It's what we all took to calling it when we started thinking with our weapons instead of our heads. It...stretched to other meanings from there, but it's a good way to make people think."

She sighed, leaning into my arm as we slowed near a post. "I don't see him."

"That means almost nothing," I reassured her. "Because he's hunting us, and I can't actually do anything to scare him with all these people around."

"Unless you do it on stage," she suggested, pointing at a cleared area that had a microphone set up in the center of it.

I laughed at the very idea, caressing my staff thoughtfully. It felt good under my hand, and secure against my thigh. I should tell her that, she'd definitely make a joke of it...

"Let's keep moving," I suggested, turning and moving toward the entry again as I looked around. "At this point, I want to find somewhere I can make a stand. I'm sure Kevin will find us then."

"Can you keep him off of us?" she asked nervously.

"I can try," I flashed a smile at her, realizing that I was planning to fight. I went so far and so long avoiding fights, but oh _god_ did I love them. I hadn't had a good fight since the reds went up in smoke.

I led her past a strip of shops, holding her hand in mine. I vaguely remembered walking past an area near this place that had been a long empty road. It had some sort of theater down it. It had looked crazily abandoned.

We crossed a few driveways that looked nearly promising, and I looked around as I realized that the sun had actually set. It wasn't dark yet, but the twilight wouldn't last long.

Well, then.

I turned and led her down the street, feeling my pulse starting to steady as my adrenaline rose. I looked down to the girl, noting that she was frowning at me, then concentrated.

Yes. There. A cold movement was following along after us, weaving back and forth. He must be tracking our scent. I slowed and cracked open another vial of perfume, carefully pouring it and tossing away the vial as we moved up the way.

"What?" L asked nervously.

"Something of a come-on," I smirked at her, pulling my staff out as I looked around. There was a wall along either side, and a ways up, a metal fence to keep people out of some sort of machinery. We moved past it, up nearer a driveway that had a sidewalk to a parking garage.

I pointed at it with my staff.

"You sure?" she asked nervously.

I nodded, turning and looking around. I collected my will, and exhaled. "Hexus," I muttered.

I'd managed to keep far enough away from that mechanical thing that it didn't blow, but the magic I'd drawn in swirled around and out in a circle. The streetlight a ways behind us flickered and died, and so did a number of lights near us in that parking garage. I turned, looking the ground over, then leaned down and took a moment to draw a large circle with my chalk. I didn't know if I'd need it or if it'd help, but I liked to have a few things around...just in case.

I moved to the side nearer where L had stopped and indicated for her to keep going. "Don't be visible," I instructed.

L moved up the sidewalk to the corner, sliding into the doorway.

"Ah," a male voice came from up the road a ways. "Eu de wizard."

I laughed at the very notion, watching as the dark shape came nearer. Somewhere behind me, a remaining light glowed, and he shifted slightly. His eyes glinted silver as he neared, and I looked him over thoughtfully.

He didn't move like he'd trained his body, which didn't mean too much. These creatures were strong and fast, by and large they had no need to learn fighting skills.

I spun the staff around in my hand as I considered how to start things off. I wanted to hit him hard and fast...good bang, all around, right?

"Why are you smirking, Wizard?"

"I'm up for a good bang," I supplied.

"I should make you beg," he noted. "It'd be funny to make you crawl after me."

I made a noise, catching the staff as I felt the power around me. It was starting to throb, and I wondered if it was my slow draw or whatever he and Josh did that made me feel my own pulse.

"You're the one asking for favors," he noted as he moved closer to me, his eyes still silvery. "I'll have fun with you. Do you know how long it'll take you to lose your mind? Every fiber of your body longing for something you can't have?"

I started laughing low in my throat, wondering if he realized how apt a question that was.

"Wizard," he said, his voice silky and low. It made my pulse quicken, and I felt that same pull that had brought me toward Josh that fist night. I didn't move, though, swinging the staff around again.

A gust of wind blew hard behind me, and I realized that the city had so much cement around that it trapped in the heat. How hard would it be to create my own wind? Direct the heat? Bring in the cold?

" _Wizard_ ," he said again.

I stepped forward, hearing L gasp slightly in the distance. The vampire's head had turned just enough that he noticed it as well, but we both knew one thing right here and now.

To do anything, he had to bring _me_ down.

"Come to me, Wizard," he muttered with that same silky note in his voice.

I obliged, wondering when he'd realize that calling a wizard was not the _best_ idea. If he'd known my name it would be one thing, but he didn't know _me_. He, like so many, saw me as a young wizard, one who'd been brought into the council because of the war, without the actual strength of a council-wizard.

There was never a question of _when_ I'd be strong enough to make the council. It was always a question of when I'd stop ignoring my mentor and focus.

Nothing worked so well as a war to make a child grow up.

I stopped a few feet from the vampire, wondering how much of my excitement was caused by the creature, and how much of it was that I was going to _tear him up_.

He opened his mouth to say something more as the tingling along my skin strengthened, mostly on the back of my hand—where Josh had touched me after licking his fingers.

Gross, I washed my hands like three times since then.

I licked my lips, seeing the satisfaction in his eyes as he reached his hand out slowly toward me.

I swung my staff.

The crack was loud as his arm broke, and I laughed at his look of shock. I swung the stuff again, and he raised his other arm to protect himself, but I'd already started to step forward, and I kicked his knee.

The thing I hadn't expected was the pink blood. It splattered across my face as we went back and forth. He only had one arm, but that didn't mean he couldn't hurt me. I knew he'd reached the point of no return in dealing with me, which meant that he _had_ to bring me down. He had no choice but to kill me.

He lunged up, coming at me with hell-fury on his face, catching me with a hand around my throat before I could get away. I leaned into him, realizing he'd collected himself enough to use his influence again. His eyes were nearly white as he watched me, and with my adrenaline already flowing it was like adding kindling to the fire. Lust and excitement turned into the same thing after a certain point.

I stopped trying to _think_ my way through the fight. I attacked him again, feeling the flow of energy through my muscles.

He cried out before coming at me again, and I felt an almost mind-numbing jolt at the sound of it. The sound almost seemed to flow through my body, and I wanted _more_. I wanted _him_ begging and crawling around on the ground. He couldn't seem to get ahold of me, and we were nearly to the far side of the street before he was able to gather himself for another attack. He shouted in pain, and...I really didn't expect the pink blood.

It was gross to taste blood. I never liked my own blood, but this was different this...made the world spin.

I staggered briefly, but that heart pounding sensation had erased all thought. I could see where he was weakest, I could feel his fear. He was icy cold, and I wanted to take a moment and just _inhale_ that, but I had a feeling that I didn't have the _time_ to.

He shouted in shock when we both fell to the ground, raising his good arm to protect his face as I dropped on his middle.

The world was...spinning.

"Ryan!" L shouted at me, stumbling down the ramp. " _Ryan!_ "

I leaned down, breathing the cold in deeply before meeting his eyes...and seeing something there. He moved his free hand slowly, and I knew I should do something about that, but...what was it? His thumb brushed my lip, and I got the distinct impression he expected that to make me fold.

It didn't.

What happened after that was...unclear. Ella reached me as someone pulled me off of the vampire, and another fight ensued. I was burning all over, my skin was on fire with every touch as I tried to get to L. I managed to find my balance, turning on Josh as I realized that _he_ could bring it back. I slammed into him hard, feeling him grab my hair. His eyes had gone silver as he talked at me...and then the cold was back.

I gasped as I tried to grab his arm. The air was scorching without that icy coldness...

"Stop!" Kevin's shout finally made sense and he wrestled me back. "Ryan! Stop!"

I looked around to him, blinking as I tried to figure out where the _hell_ he'd come from. Josh was laying at my feet and almost still, except for gasping. His shirt had been ripped almost off and I could see his pink blood as he stared at me, and I looked around to see that the other vampire was curled up in a fetal position.

L was standing in the distance, still as a statue.

"No!" Kevin shouted, shoving me back against the wall again. " _Think_ , Ryan! _**Think!**_ "

I knew exactly what to think about as I met eyes with the girl, and I realized that she wouldn't run from me.

"She'll lose her protection!" Kevin snapped, yanking me around so she was out of my sight.

Protection? I didn't have any condoms.

He stared back at me.

I started to shake my head, trying to figure out why the hell _he_ was in my face. I grabbed his shirt, leaning into him. "You need to back the fuck off," I whispered.

"Don't make me do this," Kev returned, his breathing calming slightly.

Focusing.

I felt the power starting to build around us, annoyed. I dropped him and spun back to L, seeing her eyes sparkle briefly and smiling. I moved to her, leaning down to kiss her properly. I'd wanted to do it since she first started talking to me. She wouldn't let me bring her body against mine, but the kiss was...

I _choked_ hard as Kevin yanked me back by the shirt, falling even harder to the cement.

"Blood," L noted, wiping at her mouth. "I taste...it's weird, though. It's not normal blood...not so...coppery."

" _Fuck!_ " Josh snapped, jumping up and coming at me.

I started laughing, shoving up and jumping at him.

Something happened as we collided. Something changed. I saw a shocked look on his face, but then the world turned black.

* * *

 ***L**

"You alright?" Kevin demanded of me as Josh struggled a moment to balance Ryan's weight. "You both alright?"

"You ever been kissed by someone with a mouth full of weird blood?" I retorted, spitting off to the side again. "I mean, he's a good kisser, but..."

"The blood is an aphrodisiac of a sort," Josh retorted, shifting Ryan to the ground. "He would not have stopped at kissing... _damn_ , he's...terrifying," he looked around to Ethan. "I don't understand what happened."

"We tried to lay a false path," Kevin supplied. "But he realized it and ignored it. I got stopped by a security guard who asked me what I'd just poured, and after arguing with him for ten minutes that it was perfume and I'd spilled it on accident, I went to our meeting points." He looked to me. "I felt Ry cast something and came on...so you were both here first."

"You weren't at the meeting spot," I pointed out. It didn't take me long to explain to them how we'd gone from the Eiffel Tower to this spot, how Ry'd told me to hide and done something to the electronics...at least, the lights had gone out.

He'd nearly killed Ethan. I was actually scared he was going to, and his comment about starting a war and avoiding the king...

"I figured you'd be able to scare him off," Josh admitted as he looked down to his cousin. "You have _fun_ there, Ethan?"

"Fuck you," Ethan gasped, trying to push himself up. "What the hell just happened?"

"What is it?" Kevin asked me with a smirk. "I control. I destroy. I will protect you or ruin you?"

I nodded slowly, blinking at him.

"That is what we who fought with him call the destroyer," he added, gesturing down at the comatose male. "And since when I get into a fight that intense I get all worked up, your wicked pheromones weren't the best choice of retaliation."

Josh started laughing quietly.

"What?" Ethan demanded.

"What are they going to say?" Josh asked happily, starting to laugh a little louder. "When we tell my Mom why you got your ass beat," he started laughing harder. "Not only did you fail to bring in doe who's been influenced, but you couldn't even get a buck who _wanted_ you to influence him." His laughter turned wicked. "And they're _all_ here!"

Ethan stared up at him hatefully, then looked sidelong between Ryan and I. He took a breath and extended an arm to Kev. "Grab it."

"I'm not touching you, psychopath," Kevin retorted, moving around he and Joshua to kneel next to Ryan, starting to look his body over.

I moved to join them as Josh moved over and grabbed his cousin's wrist. There was a sick crunching sound that made me want to puke, and Ethan nearly started crying.

"What do you want?" Ethan demanded. "To keep from telling them this...what?"

"Is it bad that my first thought is Joey?" Josh returned.

I frowned at him as Ethan went entirely still.

Josh laughed his heartless laugh. "You have to think about that one, huh?"

"Not Joey," Ethan said through gritted teeth. "Anything but that."

"This was between us," Joshua stated. "You don't want me to take Joey, then keep your own mouth shut. Don't tell anyone about the wizards and leave L alone."

"The wizard..."

"Joey," Josh noted with a slight note of longing in his voice. "He's young, huh? Maybe twenty now? From a small town, I think...you think he'd fight me?"

Ethan stared back at him, then swallowed and looked away.

"Good boy," Josh muttered, reaching down and grabbing his cousin by the throat. "Now that I have your attention, let's get a few things straight."

"Come on," I urged Kevin. "Let's get him out of here."

"What?" Kev asked blankly, looking back to me.

"We don't want to be this close to Josh right now," I said tightly. "I think even you'd succumb to..."

"Oh, baby," Josh said over his shoulder, "I know subtle."

"Are you sure?" I snapped back.

He flashed me an amused grin...and Ethan choked on a cry. He was trying to claw himself away, but he didn't have the strength. The air changed around them, going colder throughout the alley, but it didn't amount to anything.

Joshua turned his attention back to his cousin, and after a moment a limo pulled into the alley with its lights off. It parked not far away, and a young man I'd never seen moved from it looking anxious.

"Joey," Josh greeted him as he turned to support his cousin back to the machine. "How are you?" He stroked the guy's jawline, and I watched the kid flinch away hard.

"Damn it, I won't say!" Ethan snapped, trying to fight away from him. "Josh..."

Joshua laughed, the sound even colder. He carried his cousin back to the limo, opening the door and throwing him into the backseat as a bunch of females cried in protest and concern.

Josh moved around to the kid, grabbing a handful of his hair and staring into his eyes a long moment. Joey was about to start crying when he was released, leaning into the hood.

"You tell him," Josh said in a quiet voice, his lips not quite touching the other's skin. "You tell him that you're _mine_ if he opens his mouth."

Joey looked fearfully up to him.

"And I'm not inclined to care," Josh added, touching the buttons of his shirt.

The kid's eyes filled with tears.

"If he tells anyone about the wizards kicking his ass," Josh whispered. "Anything about L and me, anything about the wizards, anything about _tonight_ , I will come for you." Josh stepped back as the limo started rocking, strolling back to us and looking down at Kevin.

Joey turned to stumble around the machine, climbing in and locking the doors.

Kevin smiled back at Josh. "I'm going veil us," he noted happily. "I'll wake him up, veil us, and see what he does."

Josh's smile stopped.

"You wanna soul-gaze me?" Kevin asked brightly as he stood and stared into Josh's eyes—Josh was avoiding it for all he was worth. "Because I tell you what, you get me and Ry on the same page, and _things_ happen."

Josh continued avoiding the look.

"Is it just testosterone from the fight?" I demanded, looking between them. "Or are you both scared of each other and trying to leave an impression?" I looked to Kevin. "There are a few other options."

Kevin started laughing at that, turning...and meeting my eyes.

I looked away, a wave of anxiety washing through me. For all that I was incredibly interested in what I'd learned from Ry, it scared me to think of seeing someone else laid bare.

A car pulled up behind the limo, and we all focused on it as Brian climbed out. He looked at the limo a moment, then moved around it to smile at me.

"Brian!" I greeted him, feeling a little better. "Are you okay? Stay back from Josh, he's all jumped up right now."

Brian moved away from the vampire, blinking down at Ryan and pointing. "This isn't a body, is it?"

"Well, it is," Kev noted with interest. "But he's sleeping. What are you doing here?"

"Josh has deep pockets today," Brian supplied. "First five hundred for fetching you, then five hundred for driving down here and meeting him. I'm half worried you have intentions," he noted, looking around to the vampire.

Josh smirked slowly, looking him up and down.

"I'm gonna veil us," Kevin noted happily, gesturing for Brian to come to us. "Then I'll wake him up..."

"Alright," Josh complained, moving to join us. "Keep your pants on. Help me lift him. How do we get him upstairs if waking him up will set him off again?"

"He'll follow L," Kevin sighed. "But we'll have to be _on_ him, because I don't know what the hell is actually going on."

"What happened?" Brian asked nervously, looking back at the limo.

"He got some blood," Josh supplied. "He was fighting and got some blood. He attacked me, and I'm not sure what he was intending to do."

"So I get to put him in my car," Brian noted dryly. "And we get to hope that he doesn't wake up."

"He won't," Kevin promised.

Brian sighed, then gestured, walking around the limo without looking into the windows.

* * *

 ***Ryan**

I was shaking when I woke up.

I stared around the room I was in, confused. I looked around to see Josh sitting on the bed next to me, and Kev was standing beside me.

"Status?" I demanded.

"Two rocks and a vanilla scotch?" he asked.

I blinked, trying to figure out what the hell _that_ meant. I saw my friend freeze, though, then huff as he stepped back, rubbing at his eyes.

What?

I stared up at him as he looked back to me, then away.

Fuck. That meant something had changed.

"So...you feeling urges to jump at me?" Josh asked nervously.

I looked around to him, blinking a few times as I looked to my hands. Kev wouldn't want to talk about this with anyone around, which meant I needed to swallow it down...and what was Josh talking...

Oh...damn it. I'd been bothered when I couldn't feel my pulse anymore. I was going to have to own up to that or the stupid vampire was going to think...things.

The door opened, and I looked up to see L moving in to smile at me. "We found them."

"Huh?" I asked.

"Don't move over here yet," Kev sighed. "And what are you talking about?"

"Those kids," she explained. She smiled as she looked to Josh. "You'll never _believe_ what they've been up to."

"Those kids?" I echoed, feeling an almost painful throbbing through my arms. I rubbed at them, looking around to see Kevin looked a bit pole-axed.

"The kids you've been looking for?" L asked, smiling at him.

"You wanna..." I started then hesitated as Josh focused on me. I gave him a dirty look, then frowned to Kevin.

"Selena and Jeffrey came up, too," L added. "They said that you said our room number the other night; people are showing up for the party. You guys should just stay."

"Go do something to Jeffrey," I muttered, waving a hand for Josh to leave.

"You lost your mind, didn't you?" Josh retorted. "I am going to go give them guest rights, you idiot. Kev? You wanna check on the kids with me?"

"No," Kevin retorted, turning to follow him out of the room. "That sounds like a bad idea, but if I'm not with you they'll probably call for backup."

"L can control herself," Josh reassured him, winking at me. "Besides, I can't touch her because the last person who slept with her loves her."

L spun to watch them leave, then looked back to me.

"I think we need to clarify this love concept," I muttered, laying back down. "Because I'm not sure what sort of love he means."

She laughed wickedly, moving around to sit on the bed with me. "You okay? Really?"

"I don't know," I muttered, touching her arm where mine ached. "I...don't really know what just happened."

"Kevin said he put you down," she offered. "Something about sleeping versus head injuries, I didn't listen to him."

I laughed at that as she flopped down next to me.

"Today was long," she muttered.

"It really was," I sighed. "I'm wondering why they left you with me."

"Really?" she retorted. "I don't know about your buddy, but Josh did it on purpose because he's a manipulative ass. I feel I should tell you that you're a good kisser."

I _snorted_ at that, rolling my eyes and shifting onto my back.

She laughed, leaning into me and sighing tiredly. "And even with that blood in your system, I can trust you."

"Sorry about...that," I muttered, recalling that I'd had some explicit thoughts that I'd intended to act on before I'd blacked out.

She sighed, snuggling into my side and relaxing.

I sighed as well, realizing that I really was just tired. I thought a long moment, then cracked my eyes open. "Did you just say you found Rob and Lanying?"

"Yep," she agreed happily.

I groaned, rolling and pulling her to my chest as I sighed harder. "I think I hate him."

L started giggling, shifting so she was comfortable again.

"I think I hate him a lot."

"Let me get this straight," I cut it on the Rob's rambling. "You missed your train...and your response...is to get married?"

Kevin started laughing hard in the background.

I stared at the pair of apprentices as they fidgeted and avoided my eyes.

"And have you looked into annulment?" Selena asked tiredly.

"It's why we were avoiding you," Lanying said quickly. "We...well, we decided to get married and not go home yet, so we missed the train. We got married and...and it was a fun night."

Kevin started laughing harder.

"No!" her cheeks cherried. "That's not what I..." she turned stricken eyes onto Rob.

"We got a load of free stuff," Rob said quickly. "And then...well, we realized when we woke up that being married could cause a lot of problems."

Kevin turned and slipped out of the hotel room, where he continued hooting with laughter as he walked away.

I sighed, rubbing at my face.

"I knew you, at least, were on duty," Lanying added, focusing on the handkerchief she was holding. "And I remembered everyone saying something about you tracking, and...well, we weren't ready to be found yet. We filed for the annulment, but we had to wait to get the hearing."

"And have you had it?" Selena asked tiredly.

"Yes," Lanying said, looking back to her handkerchief. "It was today."

"And are you annulled?" I asked tiredly, rubbing at my face.

"Yes," she agreed, looking up to me. "They didn't even really ask us much about it. They lectured us on making responsible decisions, how marriage is a sacred oath, and how having fun is one thing, but life can't be based on that alone."

"Well," I sighed. "I'd say it's a good point, but I can see you two don't need that conversation."

Jeffrey moved into the room, smiling slightly at the pair. "They're arranging our tickets back," he noted. "But it's looking like the soonest train is going to be tomorrow evening."

"For all of us?" I asked, thinking about L.

"You are an adult," he pointed out. "They'll buy you a ticket as long as it's in the week. These two have to go back, I'm tired of the heat so I'll go with them for sure."

"And me," Selena agreed, rubbing at her face.

I looked around, realizing Kevin had walked off.

"We messed up bad, huh?" Rob asked, shifting how he sat.

"Marginally terribly," I agreed. "Though I think this entire thing has been a comedy of errors."

"Come on," Jeffrey muttered to the younger pair, gesturing for the door to the room. "We have a second room. I figure that the girls can share a bed and probably me and you can share a bed. Ryan got attacked yesterday, we told you, right?"

They disappeared into the hall.

"Well, boss, another successful retrieval," Selena noted to me.

"Don't even joke," I retorted, rubbing at my arms. They were bruised... _I_ was bruised, actually. My arms, my legs, my back, my sides...even my chest. "You care if I go back to bed?"

"Are you okay?" she asked seriously, rising.

"I think so," I agreed. "Just tired. I feel...raw."

She sighed and moved to kiss my forehead. "Well, you didn't start a war this time."

"I'll have to try harder next time," I agreed dryly.

She smiled at me, then turned and wandered from the room.

I flopped back down, curling up as the cold air continued to blow into the room from the air conditioner. Selena had done something to it, evidently the first night, that blocked it from reacting to our presence. She said something about a circle not being a sphere or something, I didn't follow it. But there was a line on the carpet that we couldn't cross and it'd keep us cold.

The door opened again, and I looked up to see Kevin.

"I asked," he noted happily as he passed me bottle of juice. "They said that the room is open for two more nights."

"You think we should?"

"After what's been going on the last few days?" he retorted, dropping on the bed. "That bloody white gave you at least five hundred, didn't he?"

"Eight," I corrected. "He came back later with more. I told him to put it where the sun don't shine...and he shoved it in my pocket."

Kevin snorted.

"So what makes you think I'm gonna split my takings with you?" I added, meeting his eyes. "You entirely failed to keep him from tracking us."

"I also talked the others into not telling on you," he retorted. "They wanted to say that a vampire was influencing you...and I insisted with the soul-gaze thing."

I looked away from him.

"It changed you," he informed me. "And a one-way soul-gaze is disturbing as fuck."

"Sorry," I said, looking down.

"It's a white...towel, or belt, or something," he added. "Looped through your belt loops like it's something you thought would look fun. Not latched, hanging almost to your knees."

"Don't tell me what you see," I retorted, meeting his eyes again. "I need to know if they're influencing me."

"No," he reassured me. "But I think you need to consider what this actually means. You saw that vampire. He threatens everyone, you can't tell the threats he'll go through with and which ones are just him talking big."

"He hasn't really been tested," I pointed out, resting down again. "I need more sleep."

"And I need cash," he retorted, moving around to dig into my wallet. "I'll get Jeffrey to tell them to order us tickets in two days."

 **End**


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